**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

**Project Proposal Form**

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Operational |                                   |
| Policies, Strategies, and Plans   |                                   |
| Project Number: 3                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Pro                             |                                   |
| ject Title: TMC Operations Manual |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| TMC's play a vital role with      |                                   |
| ensuring the safe and efficient   |                                   |
| movement of people and goods on   |                                   |
| the surface transportation        |                                   |
| system. The erroneous             |                                   |
| distribution of information,      |                                   |
| ineffective operation, and use of |                                   |
| control strategies or plans has   |                                   |
| the potential to erode the        |                                   |
| support of the public, political  |                                   |
| interests, and agencies as to the |                                   |
| need for and value of TMC's. As a |                                   |
| result, it is imperative that the |                                   |
| TMC is being managed and operated |                                   |
| in a manner that optimizes the    |                                   |
| performance of the roadways being |                                   |
| monitored, meeting the needs of   |                                   |
| its customers, and is performing  |                                   |
| at a desired level that satisfies |                                   |
| the mission, goals, and           |                                   |
| objectives of the system.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| An operations manual is a         |                                   |
| critical tool that agencies are   |                                   |
| encouraged to develop, maintain,  |                                   |
| and use in managing and           |                                   |
| supporting the day-to-day         |                                   |
| operation and activities that are |                                   |
| performed with an agencies        |                                   |
| traffic operations program, TMC   |                                   |
| control center, or other          |                                   |
| services. The purpose of an       |                                   |
| operations manual is to document  |                                   |
| the policies, procedures, plans,  |                                   |
| and other support activities that |                                   |
| are performed to achieve the      |                                   |
| mission, goals, and objectives of |                                   |
| the agencies program or TMC. This |                                   |
| manual is intended to define the  |                                   |
| roles, responsibilities,          |                                   |
| functional capabilities, services |                                   |
| provided, major tasks, and other  |                                   |
| day-to-day activities that are    |                                   |
| performed.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Most public agencies and          |                                   |
| practitioners do not recognize    |                                   |
| the need, importance, and value   |                                   |
| of an operations manual. They are |                                   |
| also unaware of how to            |                                   |
| effectively integrating the use   |                                   |
| of an operations manual into      |                                   |
| their daily activities,           |                                   |
| procedures, policies, and         |                                   |
| programs. The Institute of        |                                   |
| Transportation Engineers has      |                                   |
| developed an outline identifying  |                                   |
| the key issues and topics that    |                                   |
| should be covered in an           |                                   |
| operations manual. Technical      |                                   |
| guidance and recommended          |                                   |
| practices have not been developed |                                   |
| and made available to assist      |                                   |
| practitioners on how to develop,  |                                   |
| what to include, and how to       |                                   |
| integrate an operations manual    |                                   |
| into the day-to-day tasks,        |                                   |
| policies, and procedures, and     |                                   |
| activities.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objective of this project is  |                                   |
| to develop a TMC Operations       |                                   |
| manual to define the roles,       |                                   |
| responsibilities, functional      |                                   |
| capabilities, services provided,  |                                   |
| major tasks, services provided,   |                                   |
| and other day-to-day activities   |                                   |
| that are performed. This manual   |                                   |
| will provide a valuable resource  |                                   |
| for agencies responsible for      |                                   |
| operating TMC's to ensure that    |                                   |
| center operations are carried out |                                   |
| in accordance with official       |                                   |
| policies and that center systems  |                                   |
| are used to their full potential. |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The range of issues that should   |                                   |
| be covered in the manual will     |                                   |
| vary based on the agencies        |                                   |
| experience and level of           |                                   |
| commitment for a traffic          |                                   |
| operations program, TMC           |                                   |
| capabilities, and services that   |                                   |
| are provided. However, each       |                                   |
| traffic operations program and    |                                   |
| TMC should develop and maintain   |                                   |
| an operations manual that         |                                   |
| includes the operational          |                                   |
| strategies, traffic control       |                                   |
| plans, procedures, protocol, and  |                                   |
| response plans for different      |                                   |
| conditions (e.g., traffic         |                                   |
| incidents, congestion, work       |                                   |
| zones, weather, etc.); inventory  |                                   |
| of TMC equipment and system       |                                   |
| devices; levels of documentation; |                                   |
| maintenance activities and        |                                   |
| procedures; and daily operational |                                   |
| issues (e.g., TMC functions,      |                                   |
| hours of operation, staffing,     |                                   |
| call-out procedures, security,    |                                   |
| emergency contact lists, etc.).   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The proposed approach includes a  |                                   |
| review of published literature,   |                                   |
| conducting surveys (e.g., phones  |                                   |
| and interviews), and a potential  |                                   |
| workshop to identify key issues   |                                   |
| and validate the information that |                                   |
| should be contained in this       |                                   |
| technical document. The objective |                                   |
| of this project is to develop a   |                                   |
| technical resource that provides  |                                   |
| direction, guidance, and          |                                   |
| recommended practices on:         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Issues to include in an          |                                   |
| operations manual,                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -How to develop, maintain, and    |                                   |
| use and operations manual,        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Strategies to integrate an       |                                   |
| operations manual into the        |                                   |
| day-to-day tasks, policies,       |                                   |
| procedures, and activities of a   |                                   |
| traffic operations programs       |                                   |
| and/or TMC.                       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   TMC Operations Manual         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Primer                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Project presentation          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   State and local agency TMC    |                                   |
|     managers, supervisors,        |                                   |
|     operators, and human resource |                                   |
|     personnel.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Private sector companies who  |                                   |
|     provide contract services to  |                                   |
|     TMC's.                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The document will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours: [2000 -             | -Direct costs include limited     |
| 2500]{.underline}                 | funding to accommodate any        |
|                                   | interaction and review of         |
| Labor Cost:                       | practitioners on the development  |
| [\$175,000]{.underline}           | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Direct Costs:                     | agencies via interviews and       |
| [\$25,000]{.underline}            | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
| Total Cost:                       |                                   |
| [\$200,000]{.underline}           | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The manual will provide a         |                                   |
| valuable resource for agencies    |                                   |
| responsible for operating TMC's   |                                   |
| to ensure that center operations  |                                   |
| are carried out in accordance     |                                   |
| with official policies and that   |                                   |
| center systems are used to their  |                                   |
| full potential.                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Proje                           |                                   |
| ct Category: System Planning and  |                                   |
| Program Issues Project Number: 9  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| #                                 |                                   |
|  Project Title: TMC Clearinghouse |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A significant amount of TMC       |                                   |
| related resources and literature  |                                   |
| is currently available to provide |                                   |
| knowledge, tools, experience and  |                                   |
| guidance to assist TMC            |                                   |
| practitioners in performing their |                                   |
| duties. However, there is a lack  |                                   |
| of a common information           |                                   |
| repository that allows            |                                   |
| practitioners to easily share,    |                                   |
| exchange, and access a wide array |                                   |
| of TMC related resources at a     |                                   |
| central location. Search for      |                                   |
| appropriate TMC references could  |                                   |
| be time consuming, and critical   |                                   |
| information may easily be missed  |                                   |
| if information is not categorized |                                   |
| in an organized manner.           |                                   |
| Transportation practitioners and  |                                   |
| professionals can be greatly      |                                   |
| benefited from have a             |                                   |
| clearinghouse that stores and     |                                   |
| organizes TMC-related information |                                   |
| resources that are currently      |                                   |
| available, to allow them to       |                                   |
| quickly find and access the       |                                   |
| appropriate information that they |                                   |
| are looking for.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The focus of this project is to   |                                   |
| create a central clearinghouse    |                                   |
| located on a web site that houses |                                   |
| a comprehensive database of TMC   |                                   |
| related resources.                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The focus of this project is to   |                                   |
| create a central clearinghouse    |                                   |
| located on a web page within the  |                                   |
| existing TMC PFS website to house |                                   |
| a comprehensive database of TMC   |                                   |
| related resources. This on-line   |                                   |
| clearinghouse would provide:      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A forum where TMC managers    |                                   |
|     and practitioners could       |                                   |
|     exchange information,         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identified points of contact, |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Access to TMC-related         |                                   |
|     information from PFS projects |                                   |
|     and other sources,            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Lists of upcoming TMC-related |                                   |
|     events,                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Lists of training courses     |                                   |
|     available,                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Quarterly status report       |                                   |
|     automatically send to         |                                   |
|     practitioners regarding       |                                   |
|     information on TMC related    |                                   |
|     projects, initiatives,        |                                   |
|     available resources, etc.,    |                                   |
|     and                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A prospective resource for    |                                   |
|     transportation management     |                                   |
|     peer networking and national  |                                   |
|     program development.          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Web page within the TMC PFS   |                                   |
|     website to house a            |                                   |
|     comprehensive database of TMC |                                   |
|     related resource              |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \-                                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 200,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Project                         |                                   |
| Category: Performance Monitoring  |                                   |
| and Evaluation Project Number: 11 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # P                               |                                   |
| roject Title: TMC Performance Mon |                                   |
| itoring, Evaluation and Reporting |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Transportation Management Centers |                                   |
| are under ever increasing         |                                   |
| pressure to justify the           |                                   |
| expenditures of their operations. |                                   |
| TMC Managers should set goals for |                                   |
| their operations and set          |                                   |
| benchmarks by which to measure    |                                   |
| their progress toward those       |                                   |
| goals. These measures can serve   |                                   |
| as a way to measure progress      |                                   |
| towards goals, detect and correct |                                   |
| problems within programs, manage  |                                   |
| and describe processes and to     |                                   |
| document system performance.      |                                   |
| There has not been found any good |                                   |
| documentation on TMC Performance  |                                   |
| Measures.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The problems of congestion are    |                                   |
| very complex and change over      |                                   |
| time. While much is known about   |                                   |
| the causes, there is still a need |                                   |
| to quantify and assess the        |                                   |
| specific problems occurring       |                                   |
| within each jurisdiction's area.  |                                   |
| Much has been done to mitigate    |                                   |
| congestion, but the state of the  |                                   |
| art is still a long way away from |                                   |
| having feedback systems in place  |                                   |
| that report how well a system is  |                                   |
| doing under various scenarios.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The purpose of this project is to |                                   |
| achieve improved TMC performance  |                                   |
| monitoring, data management,      |                                   |
| evaluation and reporting          |                                   |
| practice, which will in turn,     |                                   |
| foster improved planning, design  |                                   |
| and performance management.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The focus of this project is to   |                                   |
| develop a technical reference     |                                   |
| document outlining TMC            |                                   |
| performance measures and how they |                                   |
| can be monitored, produced, and   |                                   |
| evaluated. This project would     |                                   |
| include a series of work          |                                   |
| activities focusing on examining  |                                   |
| current practice and offering     |                                   |
| more comprehensive guidance for   |                                   |
| collecting and warehousing data,  |                                   |
| developing and managing           |                                   |
| performance monitoring programs,  |                                   |
| reporting results to different    |                                   |
| audiences, and improving          |                                   |
| monitoring consistency, reporting |                                   |
| and dissemination of information. |                                   |
| The key topics to be addressed    |                                   |
| may include, but not be limited   |                                   |
| to, the following initial list:   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Literature Review: Conduct a  |                                   |
|     literature review relevant to |                                   |
|     TMC performance monitoring,   |                                   |
|     evaluation and reporting. The |                                   |
|     product of this effort will   |                                   |
|     be a synthesis report of      |                                   |
|     current practices /           |                                   |
|     state-of-the-practice in TMC  |                                   |
|     performance measures, data    |                                   |
|     collection and evaluation     |                                   |
|     techniques. Gaps and research |                                   |
|     needs as outlined in the      |                                   |
|     literature review should also |                                   |
|     be identified.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Links to Goals and            |                                   |
|     Objectives: Examine a set of  |                                   |
|     typical goals and objectives  |                                   |
|     for the TMC's and identify    |                                   |
|     appropriate performance       |                                   |
|     measure links and measures of |                                   |
|     effectiveness applicable to   |                                   |
|     each. Examine alternative     |                                   |
|     means of addressing           |                                   |
|     performance measures and      |                                   |
|     trade-offs to each.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Data Collection: Identify and |                                   |
|     develop best practices for    |                                   |
|     data collection, issues       |                                   |
|     currently confronted          |                                   |
|     including available resources |                                   |
|     and experience, surveying     |                                   |
|     techniques, optional data     |                                   |
|     retrieval systems, and data   |                                   |
|     management. Best practices    |                                   |
|     will include lessons learned  |                                   |
|     from recent efforts in case   |                                   |
|     study locations where TMC and |                                   |
|     transportation management     |                                   |
|     system monitoring as been     |                                   |
|     practiced for a number of     |                                   |
|     years.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Evaluation Techniques:        |                                   |
|     Determine the appropriateness |                                   |
|     of specific techniques for    |                                   |
|     addressing defined            |                                   |
|     performance measures.         |                                   |
|     Describe trade-offs in        |                                   |
|     techniques, and the level of  |                                   |
|     ease/difficulty, anticipated  |                                   |
|     accuracy and cost associated  |                                   |
|     with each. Develop evaluation |                                   |
|     techniques specific to each   |                                   |
|     TMC function, such as traffic |                                   |
|     monitoring, traveler          |                                   |
|     information, congestion       |                                   |
|     management, incident          |                                   |
|     management, etc. Use case     |                                   |
|     studies from current projects |                                   |
|     to provide best practice      |                                   |
|     experience.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Improved Data Reporting:      |                                   |
|     Examine the different         |                                   |
|     audiences and functional      |                                   |
|     activities (planning, design, |                                   |
|     management, operation)        |                                   |
|     needing performance           |                                   |
|     monitoring output and develop |                                   |
|     example reporting guidelines  |                                   |
|     and formats to meet typical   |                                   |
|     needs of each. Link these     |                                   |
|     needs to the identified goals |                                   |
|     and objectives affecting      |                                   |
|     corridor and regional level   |                                   |
|     needs. Provide case studies   |                                   |
|     of typical reports, methods   |                                   |
|     for comparing information,    |                                   |
|     and typical questions         |                                   |
|     reporting should address.     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technical reference document  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Primer                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Brochure                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Project presentation          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- Recipients would be            |                                   |
| representative state DOTs, TMC    |                                   |
| managers and others having a role |                                   |
| in the planning, design,          |                                   |
| operation and performance         |                                   |
| monitoring of TMC's and           |                                   |
| transportation management         |                                   |
| systems. Targeted end users for   |                                   |
| many of the example templates and |                                   |
| procedures would be technical     |                                   |
| staff (planners and operators)    |                                   |
| involved in the collection,       |                                   |
| dissemination and warehousing of  |                                   |
| data, and monitoring, evaluation  |                                   |
| and reporting of data to various  |                                   |
| audiences.                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The reference document will be   |                                   |
| available via CD as well as       |                                   |
| traditional print format.         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 225,000--250,000]{.underline}     | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 16-18 months                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The outcomes from this project    |                                   |
| would include greater awareness   |                                   |
| of the need for performance       |                                   |
| monitoring, more comprehensive    |                                   |
| guidance in performing monitoring |                                   |
| activities, better data           |                                   |
| management consistency and better |                                   |
| means for sharing data between    |                                   |
| agencies in different locales,    |                                   |
| improved planning and operation   |                                   |
| practice, and improved efficiency |                                   |
| in performing transportation      |                                   |
| management functions. These       |                                   |
| benefits would incrementally      |                                   |
| build on the current available    |                                   |
| references on this subject, and   |                                   |
| more directly link goals and      |                                   |
| objectives to performance methods |                                   |
| and yield more consistent and     |                                   |
| accurate performance reporting.   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # P                               |                                   |
| roject Category: System Design &  |                                   |
| Implementation Project Number: 10 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| #                                 |                                   |
| Project Title: TMC Staffing Model |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| One of the most complex           |                                   |
| procedures in assuring an         |                                   |
| efficient and well-prepared TMC   |                                   |
| shift operation is it's staffing. |                                   |
| Proper staffing will determine    |                                   |
| whether the operation meets the   |                                   |
| expectations of both the TMC's    |                                   |
| internal and external customers.  |                                   |
| When preparing a schedule for the |                                   |
| daily shift operation, it is      |                                   |
| essential to capture a myriad of  |                                   |
| criteria to assure that the       |                                   |
| schedule's integrity is sound in  |                                   |
| both its workload and level of    |                                   |
| experience.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| To create the desired staffing    |                                   |
| schedule, several factors must be |                                   |
| considered:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Experience level of the       |                                   |
|     individuals in each job       |                                   |
|     classification                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Scheduling availability of    |                                   |
|     personnel based on status (PT |                                   |
|     or FT) and outside            |                                   |
|     commitments                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Availability of work stations |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Time required to perform      |                                   |
|     routine and ad-hoc functions  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Required personnel required   |                                   |
|     based on anticipated workload |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   And more based on the         |                                   |
|     particular TMC's unique       |                                   |
|     characteristics               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| These factors can be gathered     |                                   |
| into a pre-fabricated staffing    |                                   |
| tool. This tool can be analyzed   |                                   |
| and used to produce an optimal    |                                   |
| staffing plan that best meets the |                                   |
| multiple parameters input by the  |                                   |
| user. In essence, assuring that   |                                   |
| an acceptable knowledge base and  |                                   |
| staff availability is scheduled   |                                   |
| to ensure an efficient operation. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| While the staffing model can be   |                                   |
| useful in the short range         |                                   |
| planning of weekly schedules and  |                                   |
| daily work role assignments, more |                                   |
| importantly, it can be used to    |                                   |
| forecast the demand for future    |                                   |
| staffing levels. This can be an   |                                   |
| important resource in the         |                                   |
| familiar scenario of expanding    |                                   |
| TMC's. Within the rapidly         |                                   |
| changing environment of           |                                   |
| transportation management,        |                                   |
| several future planning factors   |                                   |
| can be introduced that will       |                                   |
| require minor or significant      |                                   |
| alterations to the existing       |                                   |
| staffing model. These include:    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The forecast of inclement     |                                   |
|     weather conditions            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The addition of emergency     |                                   |
|     response field units          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Expanding TMC freeway         |                                   |
|     coverage responsibility       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The introduction of new       |                                   |
|     traffic operations technology |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   More based on the particular  |                                   |
|     TMC's unique operations plan  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| All of the aforementioned factors |                                   |
| require a degree of future        |                                   |
| planning and response. By         |                                   |
| injecting these unique numerical  |                                   |
| factors into a staffing tool that |                                   |
| takes prior growth, other TMC and |                                   |
| calculated assumptions into       |                                   |
| consideration, a predictable      |                                   |
| assumption can be extrapolated.   |                                   |
| These forecasted changes in       |                                   |
| staffing requirements could be    |                                   |
| acted upon to assure, as much as  |                                   |
| possible, a logically executed    |                                   |
| growth plan.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # [Task A. Literature             |                                   |
| Review and Synthesis]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The primary product of this task  |                                   |
| will be a synthesis report that   |                                   |
| summarizes:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 1.  The literature on available   |                                   |
|     human resources workload      |                                   |
|     analysis and staffing         |                                   |
|     assessment models as they     |                                   |
|     relate to TMC management.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 2.  Current best practices /      |                                   |
|     state-of-the-practice in      |                                   |
|     workload analysis and         |                                   |
|     staffing scheduling and       |                                   |
|     planning related to TMC       |                                   |
|     Management.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Task                        |                                   |
|  B. Produce A Staffing Model Tool |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task for this project is to  |                                   |
| produce a software tool that      |                                   |
| would assist TMC managers in      |                                   |
| making staff workload decisions.  |                                   |
| In utilizing a sound staffing     |                                   |
| model, the implementing TMC would |                                   |
| need to establish a base line of  |                                   |
| criteria to be used in executing  |                                   |
| the completed staffing model      |                                   |
| tool. The list of criteria would  |                                   |
| include:                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 1.  Compiling a trended database  |                                   |
|     and analysis of statistics    |                                   |
|     related to various operating  |                                   |
|     conditions and related        |                                   |
|     effects on work load volume.  |                                   |
|     Examples of these include:    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The volume of incidents,      |                                   |
|     caller information requests   |                                   |
|     (if applicable), emergency    |                                   |
|     response unit dispatches and  |                                   |
|     other routine functions that  |                                   |
|     occur during normal,          |                                   |
|     irregular and extreme         |                                   |
|     operating conditions          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Define an average handling    |                                   |
|     time duration for each of the |                                   |
|     aforementioned functions      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Break down the number of      |                                   |
|     worked events based on the    |                                   |
|     day of week and shift         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Determine an incremental      |                                   |
|     effect (numerical) on 'normal |                                   |
|     work loads' that occur during |                                   |
|     holiday periods, special      |                                   |
|     events and seasonal changes   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 2\. Defining the position related |                                   |
| knowledge level of each employee  |                                   |
| and their availability for        |                                   |
| scheduling                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 3\. Determining the work stations |                                   |
| that are available by day and     |                                   |
| time and any limitations that may |                                   |
| effect operations based on the    |                                   |
| lack of availability              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 4\. Creating an average           |                                   |
| 'over-coverage' percentage that   |                                   |
| would be imposed to cover planned |                                   |
| vacation requests, sick calls,    |                                   |
| recurrent training, turn-over,    |                                   |
| recruiting lag time and other     |                                   |
| miscellaneous leaves that would   |                                   |
| have an effect on daily staffing  |                                   |
| levels                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 5\. Defining any other criteria   |                                   |
| unique to the center that would   |                                   |
| have a direct effect on its       |                                   |
| ability to fill position          |                                   |
| vacancies (i.e. budget, personnel |                                   |
| procurement, etc.)                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This effort would be two-fold.    |                                   |
| The first phase would be to       |                                   |
| survey and synthesize current     |                                   |
| practice and report back on       |                                   |
| issues faced, strategies used,    |                                   |
| and innovative tools employed for |                                   |
| effective workload analysis and   |                                   |
| staffing assessment as they       |                                   |
| relate to TMC management. This    |                                   |
| first phase would also identify   |                                   |
| desirable functions and features  |                                   |
| of the staffing model tool to be  |                                   |
| developed. It would include the   |                                   |
| functional requirements           |                                   |
| definitions, system requirements, |                                   |
| initial software requirements to  |                                   |
| include standards to be utilized  |                                   |
| and basic performance measures to |                                   |
| be met.                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The second phase would be for the |                                   |
| development of the software tool  |                                   |
| and documentation.                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Literature summary            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   TMC staffing tool             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   State and local agency TMC    |                                   |
|     managers, supervisors, and    |                                   |
|     human resource personnel.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Private sector companies who  |                                   |
|     provide contract services to  |                                   |
|     TMC's.                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$ 150,000 for 1^st^ | agencies via interviews and       |
| phase]{.underline}                | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This is a 18-24 month effort,     |                                   |
| with schedule largely dictated by |                                   |
| the amount of effort associated   |                                   |
| with the development and testing  |                                   |
| of the software tool. 9 months is |                                   |
| required for the phase 1 effort.  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Once the staffing model is        |                                   |
| researched, developed and         |                                   |
| implemented, a myriad of useful   |                                   |
| information can be extrapolated:  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Employee schedules            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Future staffing forecasts     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Timelines for personnel       |                                   |
|     procurement and recruiting    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Staffing costs analysis       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Staff productivity goals      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Performance analysis based on |                                   |
|     day, time and shift           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # P                               |                                   |
| roject Category: System Design &  |                                   |
| Implementation Project Number: 16 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Project Title: TMC Building a   |                                   |
| nd Control Center Design Handbook |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Decisions made in the design of   |                                   |
| TMC buildings will greatly affect |                                   |
| the efficiency of daily           |                                   |
| operations and the overall        |                                   |
| effectiveness of the              |                                   |
| transportation management system  |                                   |
| well into the future. Design must |                                   |
| allow for flexibility,            |                                   |
| anticipating future needs in      |                                   |
| terms of required capacity and    |                                   |
| the potential migration to new    |                                   |
| communication and management      |                                   |
| systems. Effective design of the  |                                   |
| control center will begin with    |                                   |
| the functional requirements of    |                                   |
| staff members and will also       |                                   |
| consider how the staff will       |                                   |
| interact on a daily basis.        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The purpose of this project is to |                                   |
| develop a technical reference     |                                   |
| that provides guidance and        |                                   |
| recommended practices on          |                                   |
| designing of a TMC building and   |                                   |
| control center. The proposed      |                                   |
| approach includes:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # [Task A. Literature             |                                   |
| Review and Synthesis]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > The primary product of this     |                                   |
| > task will be a synthesis report |                                   |
| > that summarizes:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Design documents for planned  |                                   |
|     and recently completed TMC's  |                                   |
|     and control centers.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Literature on current best    |                                   |
|     practices /                   |                                   |
|     state-of-the-practice in      |                                   |
|     control room planning and     |                                   |
|     design.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification of gaps in     |                                   |
|     previous research and the     |                                   |
|     current best practices in TMC |                                   |
|     building and control center   |                                   |
|     design.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Task                        |                                   |
| B. Research and Document TMC and  |                                   |
| Control Center Design Experiences |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Survey and interview TMC      |                                   |
|     managers and staff to         |                                   |
|     identify both the best and    |                                   |
|     worst elements of their       |                                   |
|     respective TMC and control    |                                   |
|     center design.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Interview architects and      |                                   |
|     engineers involved in recent  |                                   |
|     TMC and control center design |                                   |
|     projects to identify          |                                   |
|     successful design practices   |                                   |
|     as well as recurring issues.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Interview individuals         |                                   |
|     involved in information       |                                   |
|     system support, communication |                                   |
|     system support and facility   |                                   |
|     maintenance to identify       |                                   |
|     functional requirements.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Task C. Pro                 |                                   |
| duce Technical Reference Document |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > This task is to produce a       |                                   |
| > technical reference document    |                                   |
| > that will incorporate and       |                                   |
| > summarize the results of Tasks  |                                   |
| > A and B. The key topics related |                                   |
| > to designing a TMC building and |                                   |
| > control center to be addressed  |                                   |
| > in the technical reference will |                                   |
| > include, but not be limited to, |                                   |
| > the following initial list:     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Defining system and facility  |                                   |
|     requirements                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Defining functional           |                                   |
|     requirements                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Discussion of how system and  |                                   |
|     functional requirements       |                                   |
|     affect building and control   |                                   |
|     center design and layout      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification and discussion |                                   |
|     of control room equipment as  |                                   |
|     related to system and         |                                   |
|     functional requirements       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Description and discussion of |                                   |
|     how staffing requirements and |                                   |
|     workload relate to TMC        |                                   |
|     facility and control center   |                                   |
|     design                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification and discussion |                                   |
|     of human factors related to   |                                   |
|     TMC building and control      |                                   |
|     center design                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Ensuring the range of         |                                   |
|     functions is not compromised  |                                   |
|     by the building structure     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The interface between         |                                   |
|     personnel and equipment       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Determining what format data  |                                   |
|     should be presented           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Tools needed to carry out     |                                   |
|     functions                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Determining who will be in    |                                   |
|     the control room and how      |                                   |
|     agencies will have access to  |                                   |
|     TMC data                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Integration of systems, both  |                                   |
|     internal and external.        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technical reference           |                                   |
|     document/handbook             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Primer                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Project presentation          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- The audience of this document  |                                   |
| is the team of individuals who    |                                   |
| are responsible for managing,     |                                   |
| planning, designing, and          |                                   |
| operating TMC's.                  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The document will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 150,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| #                                 |                                   |
| Project Category: System Design & |                                   |
|  Implementation Project Number: 8 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Projec                          |                                   |
| t Title: Link Travel Time Options |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Travel time is one of the most    |                                   |
| significant pieces of information |                                   |
| that can be given to motorists.   |                                   |
| It is exactly what they want,     |                                   |
| what they need and they can       |                                   |
| easily interpret the information  |                                   |
| and tailor it to their specific   |                                   |
| trip. The problem is that travel  |                                   |
| time is not simple to calculate,  |                                   |
| has a very short shelf life, and  |                                   |
| requires some significant         |                                   |
| infrastructure to obtain. There   |                                   |
| have been a number of approaches  |                                   |
| taken for collecting travel time  |                                   |
| information that use point        |                                   |
| detection equipment, toll ticket  |                                   |
| information, transponders,        |                                   |
| license plate readers, GPS units  |                                   |
| in probes, cellular (GSM) phone   |                                   |
| tracking, and wide-area           |                                   |
| surveillance of vehicles from     |                                   |
| aircraft or other platforms.      |                                   |
| Other forms of pattern            |                                   |
| recognition or fusing of multiple |                                   |
| data sources could also be used   |                                   |
| for collecting the information.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Motorists frequently find         |                                   |
| themselves in the annoying        |                                   |
| position of having just passed a  |                                   |
| diversion point before being      |                                   |
| stopped by congested traffic when |                                   |
| an alternate might have been      |                                   |
| available. Another problem is     |                                   |
| that agencies with limited        |                                   |
| resources to make improvements    |                                   |
| must rank projects according to   |                                   |
| need.                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Some communities produce travel   |                                   |
| times using loop detector data.   |                                   |
| Research has also been done on    |                                   |
| the possible use of toll tags,    |                                   |
| pattern recognition algorithms    |                                   |
| and probes to produce the link    |                                   |
| travel time information. These    |                                   |
| efforts may ultimately produce    |                                   |
| useful components of a fully      |                                   |
| integrated system.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Transportation agencies and       |                                   |
| private sector traffic            |                                   |
| information providers make travel |                                   |
| times available to the public via |                                   |
| links to Internet sites that      |                                   |
| display maps or tables of travel  |                                   |
| time by roadway segment. Media    |                                   |
| outlets also use this information |                                   |
| in their broadcasts. Maps         |                                   |
| typically display the information |                                   |
| with color codes that indicate a  |                                   |
| speed range. However, the         |                                   |
| information displayed on the      |                                   |
| website may not accurately        |                                   |
| predict conditions the traveler   |                                   |
| will actually encounter a short   |                                   |
| time later. Thus, techniques used |                                   |
| to reflect dynamic changes that   |                                   |
| affect travel time prediction as  |                                   |
| a function of time of day, day of |                                   |
| week, trip length, and congestion |                                   |
| need to be assimilated and        |                                   |
| synthesized for agency use.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objective of this project are |                                   |
| to research options and           |                                   |
| techniques in dissemination of    |                                   |
| current travel time information   |                                   |
| to motorists. A secondary benefit |                                   |
| is to produce a performance       |                                   |
| measure that can be used to       |                                   |
| statistically evaluate the        |                                   |
| operational reliability of a      |                                   |
| route.                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project would review the     |                                   |
| state of the art and report back  |                                   |
| any successes that have been      |                                   |
| achieved by others as well as     |                                   |
| develop a research plan for       |                                   |
| exploring promising ideas that    |                                   |
| have not yet been developed. This |                                   |
| project would provide a           |                                   |
| compendium of techniques used to  |                                   |
| collect, process, and disseminate |                                   |
| real-time travel information to   |                                   |
| motorists. Techniques used to     |                                   |
| predict travel times would be     |                                   |
| sought out and summarized. The    |                                   |
| product of this project would be  |                                   |
| a report containing a summary of  |                                   |
| the best practices, a list of     |                                   |
| potential new concepts, and a     |                                   |
| recommendation for a research     |                                   |
| plan to pursue the most promising |                                   |
| of these ideas. Ultimately, the   |                                   |
| purpose of this project is to     |                                   |
| give motorists a more accurate    |                                   |
| assessment of their immediate     |                                   |
| travel conditions.                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technical reference document  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   White paper                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach material: project    |                                   |
|     presentation, brochure        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- Transportation professionals,  |                                   |
| both public and private, who are  |                                   |
| deal with congestion mitigation   |                                   |
| strategies, traveler information  |                                   |
| systems, and planning activities. |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The document will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 200,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project would provide        |                                   |
| practitioners with knowledge      |                                   |
| about currently available tools   |                                   |
| to generate automated travel time |                                   |
| reports. It would enable them to  |                                   |
| identify the most practical tool  |                                   |
| for their specific needs and to   |                                   |
| estimate the costs for that       |                                   |
| system. It would also produce     |                                   |
| another tool for identifying      |                                   |
| project priorities based upon the |                                   |
| system performance measures.      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Project Catego                  |                                   |
| ry: Operational Policies, Strateg |                                   |
| ies, and Plans Project Number: 13 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Pro                             |                                   |
| ject Title: Information Displays  |                                   |
| at Freeway Entrances/Interchanges |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Freeway entrances are often key   |                                   |
| choice points on a commute, where |                                   |
| a driver commits to either a      |                                   |
| freeway or a surface street       |                                   |
| route. In a study of commuter     |                                   |
| information needs, many commuters |                                   |
| indicated that this was the       |                                   |
| primary daily decision point for  |                                   |
| them. A key choice factor was the |                                   |
| level of observed congestion on   |                                   |
| the freeway, if it is visible     |                                   |
| from the approaching road.        |                                   |
| Congestion relative to typical    |                                   |
| daily conditions was sometimes    |                                   |
| used as a predictor of what the   |                                   |
| uproad level of congestion might  |                                   |
| be. Commuters express frustration |                                   |
| at the absence of better decision |                                   |
| information at this key point.    |                                   |
| They feel that current            |                                   |
| information sources, such as      |                                   |
| commercial radio, web traffic     |                                   |
| sites, or television reports are  |                                   |
| unreliable or not timely. Uproad  |                                   |
| freeway information as the        |                                   |
| freeway entrance is neared        |                                   |
| appears to be a key driver        |                                   |
| information need for many typical |                                   |
| commuters.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The possibility exists to provide |                                   |
| intelligent roadside displays on  |                                   |
| the approach to freeway           |                                   |
| entrances, which would support    |                                   |
| effective driver decision-making. |                                   |
| Variable message signs are        |                                   |
| increasingly used on freeways, to |                                   |
| alert drivers about congestion or |                                   |
| incidents ahead. Appropriately    |                                   |
| structured information might be   |                                   |
| even more effective in            |                                   |
| influencing driver route choice   |                                   |
| if it is presented prior to the   |                                   |
| point of commitment to a freeway  |                                   |
| route. Research has found that    |                                   |
| drivers currently on a planned    |                                   |
| freeway route are reluctant to    |                                   |
| divert a non-freeway route, even  |                                   |
| in response to ITS information.   |                                   |
| However, to date there seems to   |                                   |
| have been very little use of      |                                   |
| intelligent sign displays on the  |                                   |
| approach to freeway entrances,    |                                   |
| and little is known about how     |                                   |
| best to do this.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| There are a number of important   |                                   |
| unknowns. Exactly what type of    |                                   |
| information can be supplied that  |                                   |
| will adequately meet the needs of |                                   |
| en route commuters making route   |                                   |
| decisions? How can this           |                                   |
| information be presented in a     |                                   |
| timely and legible way that       |                                   |
| allows adequate decision time and |                                   |
| does not promote driver           |                                   |
| distraction? What are the         |                                   |
| operational factors involved in   |                                   |
| supporting such displays? How     |                                   |
| would such signs influence        |                                   |
| individual driver decisions, and  |                                   |
| what impact would this have on    |                                   |
| roadway network performance?      |                                   |
| These issues are the targets of   |                                   |
| the project.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objective of this study is to |                                   |
| define the most effective way to  |                                   |
| provide intelligent traffic       |                                   |
| status information to drivers     |                                   |
| approaching a navigational choice |                                   |
| point at a freeway entrance. An   |                                   |
| evaluation of motorist            |                                   |
| requirements and current          |                                   |
| practices will ensure that the    |                                   |
| motorist gets the information he  |                                   |
| or she most needs, in a safe,     |                                   |
| comprehendible, and effective     |                                   |
| manner. The project will also     |                                   |
| develop guidance as to where the  |                                   |
| use of such signs would be most   |                                   |
| beneficial and will relate        |                                   |
| display use and requirements to   |                                   |
| local traffic network             |                                   |
| characteristics.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The project will consider all     |                                   |
| aspects of intelligent traffic    |                                   |
| displays in advance of freeway    |                                   |
| entrances. This includes what     |                                   |
| information should be included in |                                   |
| the sign display, how that        |                                   |
| information should be formatted   |                                   |
| and coded, where the sign should  |                                   |
| be located, what the display      |                                   |
| should look like, and system      |                                   |
| operational characteristics. The  |                                   |
| focus is on the effectiveness of  |                                   |
| the signs for commuters (both     |                                   |
| morning and evening peak hour     |                                   |
| commutes), although some          |                                   |
| consideration should be given to  |                                   |
| non-commute trip types.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The proposed approach includes:   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task A: Detailed evaluation of   |                                   |
| motorist information requirements |                                   |
| at freeway entrance choice        |                                   |
| points.]{.underline}              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Determine what information would  |                                   |
| be desirable to provide to        |                                   |
| motorists approaching a freeway   |                                   |
| entrance, through formal          |                                   |
| evaluation of the range of        |                                   |
| information needs typically       |                                   |
| required by travelers who must    |                                   |
| make a decision between a freeway |                                   |
| route or a surface street route.  |                                   |
| This should include such things   |                                   |
| as the distances or freeway       |                                   |
| segments over which information   |                                   |
| is desired, uproad interchanges   |                                   |
| for which information about       |                                   |
| connecting routes is required,    |                                   |
| and the type of information that  |                                   |
| may be most useful (speed, travel |                                   |
| time, condition relative to       |                                   |
| normal, etc.).                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task B: Review current           |                                   |
| practice.]{.underline}            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Identify locations where          |                                   |
| intelligent displays have been    |                                   |
| used on the approach to freeway   |                                   |
| entrances. Describe and evaluate  |                                   |
| these examples, highlighting      |                                   |
| strengths, weaknesses, and        |                                   |
| consistency with the information  |                                   |
| needs defined in Task A. The      |                                   |
| evaluation should include display |                                   |
| information content, coding       |                                   |
| conventions, visual display       |                                   |
| attributes, and display location. |                                   |
| Also review and evaluate related  |                                   |
| types of informational displays   |                                   |
| that may be used in other media   |                                   |
| (e.g., in-vehicle information     |                                   |
| systems, web-based traffic        |                                   |
| information), to determine if     |                                   |
| these offer promising approaches  |                                   |
| or lessons learned. Consider      |                                   |
| existing practices in terms of    |                                   |
| compatibility with major traffic  |                                   |
| engineering standards and         |                                   |
| guidelines (e.g., MUTCD).         |                                   |
| Summarize the findings in terms   |                                   |
| of the range of observed          |                                   |
| practices and apparent strengths, |                                   |
| weaknesses, contradictory         |                                   |
| practices, and controversies.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task C: Develop and evaluate     |                                   |
| alternative                       |                                   |
| displays.]{.underline}            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Based on the findings of Tasks A  |                                   |
| and B, develop alternatives for   |                                   |
| the design and use of intelligent |                                   |
| traffic displays in advance of    |                                   |
| freeway entrances. The            |                                   |
| alternatives should address what  |                                   |
| information is provided, how the  |                                   |
| information is formatted or coded |                                   |
| (e.g., speed in miles per hour,   |                                   |
| congestion level in               |                                   |
| red-yellow-green code), how much  |                                   |
| information can be provided, what |                                   |
| the visual display should look    |                                   |
| like, and where the display       |                                   |
| should be located with respect to |                                   |
| the upcoming freeway entrance.    |                                   |
| Alternatives should be evaluated  |                                   |
| and refined through laboratory,   |                                   |
| test track, focus group, or other |                                   |
| techniques.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task D: Plan a field evaluation  |                                   |
| of most promising                 |                                   |
| alternatives.]{.underline}        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The effectiveness of the most     |                                   |
| promising alternatives should be  |                                   |
| field-evaluated in collaboration  |                                   |
| with cooperating authorities. The |                                   |
| evaluation plan should include    |                                   |
| experimental and control sites in |                                   |
| a range of cities, based on site  |                                   |
| criteria determined to be         |                                   |
| important in Task A. The          |                                   |
| evaluation should quantify the    |                                   |
| effects of providing intelligent  |                                   |
| traffic displays in advance of    |                                   |
| freeway entrances, in terms of    |                                   |
| traffic response, trip times,     |                                   |
| network benefits, road user       |                                   |
| feedback (surveys or other        |                                   |
| methods), and operational issues  |                                   |
| for the local traffic agencies.   |                                   |
| Alternative treatments should be  |                                   |
| compared in terms of benefits and |                                   |
| costs.                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task E: Draft and final          |                                   |
| reports.]{.underline} Document    |                                   |
| the methods and findings of the   |                                   |
| project in a final report.        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Final research report         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- The audience of this document  |                                   |
| is the team of individuals who    |                                   |
| are responsible for managing and  |                                   |
| operating transportation          |                                   |
| management systems.               |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The document will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$                   | interaction and review of         |
| 200,000]{.underline}              | practitioners on the development  |
|                                   | of this product and to obtain any |
| Direct Costs: [\$                 | available information from        |
| 25,000]{.underline}               | agencies via interviews and       |
|                                   | on-site visits to support         |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | development of case studies.      |
| 225,000]{.underline}              |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Projec                          |                                   |
| t Category: TMC Technologies Tran |                                   |
| sfer & Outreach Project Number: 5 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Project Titl                    |                                   |
| e: TMC Marketing Toolbox/Handbook |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Any successful business plan      |                                   |
| contains a marketing plan for the |                                   |
| products being sold. Many TMC\'s  |                                   |
| invest resources in marketing     |                                   |
| efforts to enlist support for     |                                   |
| their systems and to attempt to   |                                   |
| engage new customers. Some        |                                   |
| efforts are targeted at customers |                                   |
| external to the operating agency  |                                   |
| whether the transportation system |                                   |
| user, other agencies or providers |                                   |
| of services related to            |                                   |
| transportation. Other efforts are |                                   |
| targeted toward the internal      |                                   |
| customers of the operating agency |                                   |
| and the decision-makers or        |                                   |
| entities that control the         |                                   |
| resources of the agency. These    |                                   |
| marketing efforts are necessary   |                                   |
| to justify the resources utilized |                                   |
| to develop, operate and maintain  |                                   |
| transportation management systems |                                   |
| and to compete for resources to   |                                   |
| continue to expand and improve    |                                   |
| the services. Many marketing      |                                   |
| strategies are successful and     |                                   |
| many are not nearly as            |                                   |
| successful. There is a need to    |                                   |
| investigate current TMC marketing |                                   |
| tools and efforts and make some   |                                   |
| assessment of the effectiveness   |                                   |
| of various accepted practices and |                                   |
| develop guides and                |                                   |
| recommendations that              |                                   |
| non-marketing TMC and ITS         |                                   |
| managers and personnel can use    |                                   |
| while developing business plans   |                                   |
| and strategies for their systems. |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The purpose of this project is to |                                   |
| develop a reference document to   |                                   |
| provide direction, guidance,      |                                   |
| strategies, and recommended best  |                                   |
| practices to assist TMC's in      |                                   |
| developing as well as executing   |                                   |
| marketing strategies to improve   |                                   |
| external communication and        |                                   |
| increase public awareness of the  |                                   |
| services and benefits provided by |                                   |
| transportation management         |                                   |
| systems.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Technical topics that would be    |                                   |
| addressed in this project will    |                                   |
| involve items that would not      |                                   |
| normally be considered typical    |                                   |
| transportation related technical  |                                   |
| items. These would include        |                                   |
| marketing terminology and         |                                   |
| definitions and discussions of    |                                   |
| proven market strategies that     |                                   |
| have been effective in the        |                                   |
| transportation management domain. |                                   |
| It would also include guidance on |                                   |
| selection and application of      |                                   |
| marketing tools and their         |                                   |
| application in varying            |                                   |
| environments and with various     |                                   |
| target audiences. Information     |                                   |
| related to the skills, resources  |                                   |
| and levels of effort needed to    |                                   |
| implement market strategies to    |                                   |
| accomplish specified goals would  |                                   |
| also be discussed and various     |                                   |
| case studies provide.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project would focus on       |                                   |
| developing a guide to marketing   |                                   |
| for TMC managers, supervisors,    |                                   |
| and operators. Tasks to be        |                                   |
| addressed may include:            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 1)  Providing a basic guide to    |                                   |
|     marketing strategies,         |                                   |
|     principals and techniques to  |                                   |
|     engineers and other           |                                   |
|     technically oriented staff    |                                   |
|     engaged in the operation,     |                                   |
|     maintenance, design and       |                                   |
|     implementation of TMC's.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 2)  Conducting a literature       |                                   |
|     review relevant to TMC        |                                   |
|     marketing efforts and         |                                   |
|     strategies. The product of    |                                   |
|     this effort would be a        |                                   |
|     synthesis report of current   |                                   |
|     practices /                   |                                   |
|     state-of-the-practice in TMC  |                                   |
|     marketing techniques and      |                                   |
|     strategies and lessons        |                                   |
|     learned. Case studies on      |                                   |
|     successful stories would also |                                   |
|     be offered.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 3)  Survey existing TMC managers  |                                   |
|     and provide an overview of    |                                   |
|     marketing strategies and      |                                   |
|     techniques being applied      |                                   |
|     throughout the industry and   |                                   |
|     provide an assessment of      |                                   |
|     which are effective and which |                                   |
|     are less effective than       |                                   |
|     expected.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 4)  Identify strategies and       |                                   |
|     techniques that are effective |                                   |
|     for various purposes and      |                                   |
|     varying audiences. Examples   |                                   |
|     might include: External       |                                   |
|     customers such as local       |                                   |
|     commuters, civic groups, and  |                                   |
|     employment centers to         |                                   |
|     increase utilization of       |                                   |
|     traveler information          |                                   |
|     services. Internal entities   |                                   |
|     responsible for allocation of |                                   |
|     resources, approval of        |                                   |
|     projects and establishment of |                                   |
|     policies and procedures such  |                                   |
|     as State DOT Commission       |                                   |
|     Boards, Senior Engineering    |                                   |
|     Mangers and Personnel and     |                                   |
|     Administrative Directors, to  |                                   |
|     secure dedicated personnel    |                                   |
|     position allocations to       |                                   |
|     supervise contract TMC        |                                   |
|     Operators.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 5)  Identify procedures and       |                                   |
|     processes to develop a        |                                   |
|     marketing plan for TMC's.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 6)  Develop steps and procedures  |                                   |
|     for implementing marketing    |                                   |
|     strategies.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 7)  Develop suggested information |                                   |
|     topics and data items that    |                                   |
|     should be considered for      |                                   |
|     inclusion in strategies       |                                   |
|     targeted at the various       |                                   |
|     audiences to accomplish a     |                                   |
|     list of specified purposes.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 8)  Develop sample marketing      |                                   |
|     material and templates (e.g., |                                   |
|     PowerPoint presentations,     |                                   |
|     project fact sheets,          |                                   |
|     brochures, questions &        |                                   |
|     answers sheets, articles, web |                                   |
|     pages, newsletters, etc.).    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 9)  Identify methods and develop  |                                   |
|     procedures for measure        |                                   |
|     success.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 10) Identify training needs.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 11) Provide recommendations for   |                                   |
|     the use of various marketing  |                                   |
|     tools to be utilized for      |                                   |
|     various audiences in varying  |                                   |
|     environments such as open     |                                   |
|     meetings, closed executive    |                                   |
|     sessions or one-on-one        |                                   |
|     situations.                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A marketing guide for TMC/ITS |                                   |
|     managers and engineers        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Sample marketing tools:       |                                   |
|     project presentations,        |                                   |
|     project fact sheets,          |                                   |
|     brochures, questions &        |                                   |
|     answers sheets, articles, web |                                   |
|     pages, newsletters, etc.      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The intended audience would   |                                   |
|     be TMC managers and staff     |                                   |
|     charged with the operation,   |                                   |
|     maintenance, planning, design |                                   |
|     and implementation of TMC's.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Other potential users of the  |                                   |
|     product would be other        |                                   |
|     transportation engineers      |                                   |
|     engaged in planning,          |                                   |
|     environmental assessment,     |                                   |
|     research or other agency      |                                   |
|     activities that may benefit   |                                   |
|     from the findings and         |                                   |
|     recommendations of this       |                                   |
|     document.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The handbook will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$                   | interaction and review of         |
| 175,000]{.underline}              | practitioners on the development  |
|                                   | of this product and to obtain any |
| Direct Costs: [\$                 | available information from        |
| 25,000]{.underline}               | agencies via interviews and       |
|                                   | on-site visits to support         |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | development of case studies.      |
| 200,000]{.underline}              |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The product would help public     |                                   |
| agencies in educating the general |                                   |
| public about the roles,           |                                   |
| functions, and benefits that      |                                   |
| TMC's provide.                    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Project Categ                   |                                   |
| ory: Operational Policies, Strate |                                   |
| gies, and Plans Project Number: 7 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Project Titl                    |                                   |
| e: Planned Special Events Toolbox |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Special events are an important   |                                   |
| and recurring part of the         |                                   |
| operating environment that        |                                   |
| influences the performance of the |                                   |
| surface transportation system.    |                                   |
| Special events can range in       |                                   |
| scale, size, frequency,           |                                   |
| predictability, duration,         |                                   |
| geographical influence, and have  |                                   |
| the potential to impact different |                                   |
| modes (e.g., transit, rail) or    |                                   |
| components of the surface         |                                   |
| transportation system (e.g.,      |                                   |
| highways, freeways, surface       |                                   |
| streets). Special events are      |                                   |
| typically categorized as planned  |                                   |
| or unplanned.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Planned special events typically  |                                   |
| have a known location, time,      |                                   |
| duration, demand or impact. This  |                                   |
| is in contrast to unplanned       |                                   |
| events where this information is  |                                   |
| not available to public agencies  |                                   |
| prior to these occurrences of     |                                   |
| these events. Unplanned events    |                                   |
| could include traffic incidents   |                                   |
| (e.g., stalled vehicles, crashes, |                                   |
| etc.), adverse weather (e.g.,     |                                   |
| flooding, hurricanes, etc.),      |                                   |
| natural disasters (e.g.,          |                                   |
| hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.),   |                                   |
| and terrorist actions.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The planning and coordination in  |                                   |
| advance of a special event        |                                   |
| provides an opportunity to        |                                   |
| develop operational strategies,   |                                   |
| traffic control plans, common     |                                   |
| protocol and procedures,          |                                   |
| incorporate technology, and other |                                   |
| innovative techniques. Techniques |                                   |
| which may enhance the             |                                   |
| capabilities or methods that      |                                   |
| agencies use to proactively       |                                   |
| manage travel and control of      |                                   |
| traffic to accommodate the        |                                   |
| increased travel demand generated |                                   |
| from a planned special event and  |                                   |
| utilize the available roadway     |                                   |
| capacity in the most efficient    |                                   |
| and effective manner. This        |                                   |
| requires the involvement,         |                                   |
| commitment, allocation of the     |                                   |
| appropriate resource from public  |                                   |
| agencies and service providers to |                                   |
| properly plan, coordinate,        |                                   |
| prepare, and develop these        |                                   |
| capabilities.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NCHRP Synthesis Topic 32-09       |                                   |
| reports the state of the practice |                                   |
| of transportation planning and    |                                   |
| management of special events.     |                                   |
| Specifically, it identifies how   |                                   |
| agencies are planning,            |                                   |
| coordinating services, and        |                                   |
| managing the overall              |                                   |
| transportation system for these   |                                   |
| periods. A draft of this          |                                   |
| synthesis was developed in        |                                   |
| December of 2001 with the final   |                                   |
| report expected to be available   |                                   |
| in the spring of 2003. In         |                                   |
| addition, the TMC PFS is          |                                   |
| currently developing technical    |                                   |
| guidance that provides guidance   |                                   |
| and recommended practices for     |                                   |
| public agencies and other         |                                   |
| interests that may be involved in |                                   |
| the advanced planning,            |                                   |
| coordination, provision of        |                                   |
| services, and management of       |                                   |
| travel for planned special        |                                   |
| events. However, there is a need  |                                   |
| to build upon and go beyond       |                                   |
| current efforts and develop a     |                                   |
| toolbox that is responsive to the |                                   |
| needs and concerns of             |                                   |
| stakeholders and provides a       |                                   |
| variety of resources, methods and |                                   |
| techniques to assist              |                                   |
| practitioners in implementing     |                                   |
| strategies for managing travel    |                                   |
| for planned special events.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objective of this project is  |                                   |
| to develop a toolbox that         |                                   |
| provides a compilation of         |                                   |
| information on a variety of       |                                   |
| subjects providing concepts and   |                                   |
| guidance for effective travel     |                                   |
| management for planned special    |                                   |
| events. This toolbox would        |                                   |
| include:                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A how to component on         |                                   |
|     planning, coordination,       |                                   |
|     design, implementation, and   |                                   |
|     evaluation of strategies for  |                                   |
|     managing travel for planned   |                                   |
|     special events.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Descriptions, pros and cons,  |                                   |
|     and suitability of various    |                                   |
|     travel management methods and |                                   |
|     strategies for planned        |                                   |
|     special events.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Guidance on effective travel  |                                   |
|     management strategies,        |                                   |
|     procedures, and techniques    |                                   |
|     for planned special events.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A checklist related to        |                                   |
|     day-of-event activities.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A collection of case studies  |                                   |
|     that represent general        |                                   |
|     practicable approaches to     |                                   |
|     managing travel for planned   |                                   |
|     special events.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -                                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Toolbox for managing travel   |                                   |
|     for planned special events.   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- The intended audience of this  |                                   |
| technical reference is the team   |                                   |
| of individuals (e.g.,             |                                   |
| transportation agencies, service  |                                   |
| providers, private sector         |                                   |
| companies, and other interests)   |                                   |
| that would be involved in or      |                                   |
| responsible for the advanced      |                                   |
| planning, stakeholder             |                                   |
| coordination, and management of   |                                   |
| day-of-event activities for a     |                                   |
| range of different types of       |                                   |
| planned special events.           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The handbook will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 150,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 12 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2003**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Project Catego                  |                                   |
| ry: Operational Policies, Strateg |                                   |
| ies, and Plans Project Number: 15 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # Project                         |                                   |
|  Title: Integrated Control for Im |                                   |
| proved Operation of Freeways and  |                                   |
| Surface Streets in Urban Corridor |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Statement of Problem:           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Conditions on any roadway can,    |                                   |
| and often do, affect the          |                                   |
| operation of neighboring          |                                   |
| roadways. Typically, whenever     |                                   |
| congestion occurs on one roadway, |                                   |
| some of the travelers respond by  |                                   |
| shifting to another route, select |                                   |
| a different type of roadway       |                                   |
| (freeway versus surface street),  |                                   |
| or adjust their trip to another   |                                   |
| time of day. Consequently when    |                                   |
| congestion occurs on a roadway,   |                                   |
| the adjoining roadways in the     |                                   |
| corridor are also typically       |                                   |
| impacted.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Public agencies have the          |                                   |
| potential to improve safety and   |                                   |
| the flow of traffic when events   |                                   |
| disrupt travel within             |                                   |
| transportation corridors.         |                                   |
| Integrating the control of        |                                   |
| freeway and traffic signal        |                                   |
| control systems, within the same  |                                   |
| urban corridor, allows for the    |                                   |
| implementation or modification of |                                   |
| the operational strategies and    |                                   |
| traffic control plans in response |                                   |
| to changing roadway conditions.   |                                   |
| Integrated control provides the   |                                   |
| capability for agencies to        |                                   |
| proactively manage and control    |                                   |
| traffic to improve travel on a    |                                   |
| specific roadway, series of       |                                   |
| intersections controlled by       |                                   |
| traffic signals, at interchange   |                                   |
| ramp terminals, or within an      |                                   |
| urban corridor where travel       |                                   |
| occurs on alternative freeways    |                                   |
| and surface streets.              |                                   |
| Traditionally the emphasis and    |                                   |
| focus of the traffic management   |                                   |
| activities of most agencies has   |                                   |
| been on limited portions of       |                                   |
| either the freeway facilities or  |                                   |
| along surface streets controlled  |                                   |
| by traffic signals located within |                                   |
| urban corridors.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The advancements that have been   |                                   |
| realized over the past 10 years   |                                   |
| with information technologies,    |                                   |
| computing, software, and          |                                   |
| communication systems have        |                                   |
| developed the capabilities that   |                                   |
| agencies need to proactively      |                                   |
| manage travel and control traffic |                                   |
| between surface streets and       |                                   |
| freeways. Previous research       |                                   |
| efforts have performed only       |                                   |
| limited proof-of-concept testing  |                                   |
| on control algorithms,            |                                   |
| operational strategies, and       |                                   |
| control plans that had been       |                                   |
| previously developed. This        |                                   |
| research provided is over ten     |                                   |
| years old, did not take into      |                                   |
| consideration today's             |                                   |
| technologies, current traffic     |                                   |
| control capabilities, and         |                                   |
| provided only limited guidance on |                                   |
| the actual integration required   |                                   |
| for the control and coordination  |                                   |
| to support the testing that was   |                                   |
| performed.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A consensus does not exist and    |                                   |
| technical guidance has not been   |                                   |
| developed regarding the           |                                   |
| appropriate practices that        |                                   |
| agencies and practitioners should |                                   |
| follow related to planning,       |                                   |
| designing, implementing,          |                                   |
| utilizing, and evaluating         |                                   |
| integrated control between        |                                   |
| freeway and surface street        |                                   |
| systems. Research and technical   |                                   |
| guidance is needed to provide     |                                   |
| direction and ensure that the     |                                   |
| initiatives that are pursued are  |                                   |
| successful, effective, and        |                                   |
| provide the capabilities that     |                                   |
| agencies determine are            |                                   |
| appropriate to meet their needs.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Additional research is needed to  |                                   |
| address the challenges and        |                                   |
| barriers that agencies are        |                                   |
| currently facing with integrating |                                   |
| and coordinating travel between   |                                   |
| freeways and surface streets in   |                                   |
| urban corridors. Research needs   |                                   |
| to be initiated to develop the    |                                   |
| products to help practitioners in |                                   |
| the short term, pursue            |                                   |
| initiatives to assist agencies to |                                   |
| apply the technologies and        |                                   |
| concepts that are currently       |                                   |
| available, and pursue research to |                                   |
| move the state of the practice    |                                   |
| forward. Some of these research   |                                   |
| initiatives involve synthesizing  |                                   |
| current practice in integrated    |                                   |
| freeway and surface street        |                                   |
| traffic control, develop guidance |                                   |
| for practitioners on innovative   |                                   |
| techniques and practices,         |                                   |
| identify gaps in current          |                                   |
| practice, identify and prioritize |                                   |
| research initiatives to address   |                                   |
| or close these gaps.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Transportation Management     |                                   |
| System (TMC) Pooled Fund Study    |                                   |
| initiated a project in 2002 to    |                                   |
| develop recommended guidelines    |                                   |
| and best practices focusing on    |                                   |
| the institutional (e.g., program, |                                   |
| policy, agency agreements,        |                                   |
| inter-agency coordination) and    |                                   |
| procedural (e.g., operational     |                                   |
| strategies, control plans,        |                                   |
| protocol, procedures) associated  |                                   |
| with managing travel and          |                                   |
| controlling traffic between       |                                   |
| freeways and surface streets      |                                   |
| within transportation corridors.  |                                   |
| This project proposes to build    |                                   |
| off of this initiative by         |                                   |
| developing guidance and best      |                                   |
| practices on how to integrate     |                                   |
| freeway and traffic signal        |                                   |
| control systems to provide the    |                                   |
| ability to share information,     |                                   |
| implement operational strategies, |                                   |
| modify control plans based on     |                                   |
| current roadway conditions.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggested Approach:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The purpose of this project is to |                                   |
| research methods of integrating   |                                   |
| the traffic control of freeway    |                                   |
| and traffic signal control        |                                   |
| systems and to develop a          |                                   |
| technical reference that provides |                                   |
| guidance and recommended          |                                   |
| practices on integrating control  |                                   |
| of these systems.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The proposed approach includes:   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| # [Task A. Literature             |                                   |
| Review and Synthesis]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The primary product of this task  |                                   |
| will be a synthesis report that   |                                   |
| summarizes:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The literature on integrated  |                                   |
|     freeway and surface street    |                                   |
|     traffic control.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Current best practices /      |                                   |
|     state-of-the-practice in      |                                   |
|     integrated freeway and        |                                   |
|     surface street traffic        |                                   |
|     control.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification of gaps in     |                                   |
|     previous research and the     |                                   |
|     current best practices in     |                                   |
|     integrated freeway and        |                                   |
|     surface street traffic        |                                   |
|     control.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ## [T                             |                                   |
| ask B. Conduct Additional Integra |                                   |
| ted Control Research]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| From the review, synthesis, and   |                                   |
| gap analysis conducted under Task |                                   |
| A, the research team will develop |                                   |
| a research plan that provides the |                                   |
| justification and roadmap of the  |                                   |
| initiatives that are needed to    |                                   |
| improve the practices of local    |                                   |
| agencies, advance the state of    |                                   |
| the practice, and close the gap   |                                   |
| with the state of the art. This   |                                   |
| initiative will include the       |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposals for the initiatives     |                                   |
| that are identified as priorities |                                   |
| to address these three areas.     |                                   |
| This plan will also identify and  |                                   |
| provide recommendations that will |                                   |
| include but not be limited to:    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Research, development, or     |                                   |
|     implementation with regard to |                                   |
|     integrating freeway and       |                                   |
|     surface street traffic        |                                   |
|     control;                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Training and staff            |                                   |
|     development activities to     |                                   |
|     ensure that the direction,    |                                   |
|     guidance and recommended      |                                   |
|     practices produced in this    |                                   |
|     effort reach the intended     |                                   |
|     public agencies and           |                                   |
|     transportation practitioners; |                                   |
|     and                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technology transfer           |                                   |
|     initiatives to facilitate the |                                   |
|     successful incorporation of   |                                   |
|     the recommended guidance and  |                                   |
|     practices produced are        |                                   |
|     integrated into practice.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Task C. Pro                 |                                   |
| duce Technical Reference Document |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task for this project is to  |                                   |
| produce a technical reference     |                                   |
| document that will incorporate    |                                   |
| and summarize the results of      |                                   |
| Tasks A. The key topics related   |                                   |
| to integrating traffic control on |                                   |
| freeway and surface streets in    |                                   |
| urban corridors to be addressed   |                                   |
| in the technical reference will   |                                   |
| include, but not be limited to,   |                                   |
| the following initial list:       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Methods/types of integrated   |                                   |
|     control;                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Concept of operations;        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Functional requirements;      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Operating scenarios;          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Equipment, software,          |                                   |
|     communication, surveillance,  |                                   |
|     data base, and data needs;    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   System and device integration |                                   |
|     to share data and control;    |                                   |
|     and                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Traffic control algorithms    |                                   |
|     and control plans; and        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Methodology, simulation       |                                   |
|     tools, process, analysis      |                                   |
|     techniques, and factors to    |                                   |
|     consider when developing or   |                                   |
|     evaluating traffic control    |                                   |
|     capabilities, operational     |                                   |
|     strategies, and signal timing |                                   |
|     plans.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ######                            |                                   |
| Task D. Produce Outreach Material |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > This task is to produce         |                                   |
| > material to support outreach    |                                   |
| > and awareness on issues related |                                   |
| > to the subject. The outreach    |                                   |
| > material to be produced may     |                                   |
| > include project fact sheets,    |                                   |
| > presentation, a primer,         |                                   |
| > brochure, and a distribution    |                                   |
| > plan.                           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Products:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technical reference document  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Primer                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Project presentation          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # End Users (Product Customer):   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The primary audience of this  |                                   |
|     document is the team of       |                                   |
|     individuals who are           |                                   |
|     responsible for managing and  |                                   |
|     operating traffic control     |                                   |
|     systems that control traffic  |                                   |
|     on these roadway facilities   |                                   |
|     in urban corridors.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The secondary audience is the |                                   |
|     team of individuals who       |                                   |
|     support the primary audience, |                                   |
|     those involved or responsible |                                   |
|     for managing, planning,       |                                   |
|     designing, and operating      |                                   |
|     these systems.                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Training,                       |                                   |
|  Outreach, and Distribution Plan: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The document will be available   |                                   |
| via CD as well as traditional     |                                   |
| print format.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:  | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 500,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # In-Kind Suppor                  |                                   |
| t or Other Funding (Beyond SP&R): |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Suggest                         |                                   |
| ed Schedule for Major Milestones: |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- 24 months                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| # Benefits                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Traffic congestion costs          |                                   |
| individuals and businesses        |                                   |
| billions of dollars each year.    |                                   |
| Agencies are investing in traffic |                                   |
| control systems on freeways and   |                                   |
| arterials, but can't realize the  |                                   |
| full potential benefits of these  |                                   |
| systems without integrating the   |                                   |
| control across jurisdictional and |                                   |
| functional boundaries.            |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+