**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2005 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Enhancing   |                                   |
| Business Management of TMCs       |                                   |
| **Project Number:** 1             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Project Title:** Methodologies  |                                   |
| to Measure and Quantify TMC       |                                   |
| Benefits                          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Transportation Management Centers |                                   |
| (TMCs) are under ever increasing  |                                   |
| pressure to justify the           |                                   |
| expenditures of their investment  |                                   |
| in infrastructure and operations. |                                   |
| Without appropriate data and      |                                   |
| methodology, there is little      |                                   |
| basis for assessing how the       |                                   |
| benefits of TMCs are toward       |                                   |
| accomplishing regional            |                                   |
| transportation goals, and for     |                                   |
| defending TMC investment,         |                                   |
| operational performance, and      |                                   |
| policies from public scrutiny and |                                   |
| legislative efforts to modify or  |                                   |
| overturn policy. TMC Managers     |                                   |
| should set goals for their        |                                   |
| investment and operations and set |                                   |
| benchmarks by which to measure,   |                                   |
| quantify, and evaluate their      |                                   |
| performance and benefits toward   |                                   |
| those goals. These benefit        |                                   |
| measures can serve as a way to    |                                   |
| evaluate progress towards goals,  |                                   |
| manage and describe processes,    |                                   |
| document system benefits, and     |                                   |
| justify additional funding and    |                                   |
| future investment.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| No consistent standard has been   |                                   |
| identified that can be uniformly  |                                   |
| applied to evaluate the           |                                   |
| quantifiable benefits of a TMC.   |                                   |
| In part, this results from the    |                                   |
| relatively diverse structure and  |                                   |
| operations of TMCs and            |                                   |
| transportation management         |                                   |
| systems. Each system is developed |                                   |
| to meet the unique identified     |                                   |
| needs of the given region.        |                                   |
| Similar to quantifiable benefits, |                                   |
| no consistent standard has been   |                                   |
| identified that can be uniformly  |                                   |
| applied to evaluate the           |                                   |
| qualitative benefits of a TMC.    |                                   |
| Identifying and documenting       |                                   |
| examples of qualitative benefits  |                                   |
| is difficult in large part        |                                   |
| because, few if any studies on    |                                   |
| these benefits have been          |                                   |
| conducted. Qualitative benefits   |                                   |
| are, however, important because,  |                                   |
| similar to quantitative benefits, |                                   |
| they also provide a basis to      |                                   |
| justify additional funding,       |                                   |
| measure public acceptance, and    |                                   |
| support system upgrade and        |                                   |
| expansion. There is a need to     |                                   |
| develop basic methodologies for   |                                   |
| gathering data and calculating    |                                   |
| costs and benefits of TMCs.       |                                   |
| Consistent methodologies will     |                                   |
| provide more acceptable baseline  |                                   |
| data for calculating TMC          |                                   |
| benefits.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project will build on the    |                                   |
| current TMS Performance           |                                   |
| Monitoring, Evaluation and        |                                   |
| Reporting Handbook project.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The purpose of this project is to |                                   |
| gain a better understanding of    |                                   |
| and to quantify benefits in       |                                   |
| traffic operations due to the     |                                   |
| implementation of TMCs and the    |                                   |
| systems (hardware, software, and  |                                   |
| equipment), infrastructure, and   |                                   |
| functions associated with the     |                                   |
| operation of TMCs. The main       |                                   |
| functions of a typical TMC (i.e.  |                                   |
| traffic management, incident      |                                   |
| management, and traveler          |                                   |
| information) should be            |                                   |
| considered, and the elements of   |                                   |
| each function should be           |                                   |
| evaluated. This project will      |                                   |
| develop methodologies and provide |                                   |
| guidance on measuring,            |                                   |
| quantifying, and evaluating the   |                                   |
| costs and benefits of the         |                                   |
| implementation and operation of   |                                   |
| TMCs. Key topics and issue to be  |                                   |
| covered in this project may       |                                   |
| include, but not be limited to:   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Define various types of TMCs  |                                   |
|     and their roles and functions |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify quantitative and     |                                   |
|     qualitative benefits and      |                                   |
|     costs associated with the     |                                   |
|     deployment and operations of  |                                   |
|     TMCs and associated systems,  |                                   |
|     infrastructure, and functions |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Discuss how to measure costs  |                                   |
|     and benefits of TMCs and      |                                   |
|     associated systems,           |                                   |
|     infrastructure, and functions |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify data requirements,   |                                   |
|     sources, and methods to       |                                   |
|     collect data                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify and discuss issues   |                                   |
|     related to data quality       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify and define cost      |                                   |
|     components, including costs   |                                   |
|     for implementation,           |                                   |
|     operations, management and    |                                   |
|     maintenance. Define           |                                   |
|     standards, methods and        |                                   |
|     procedures to compute costs.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify methods, analyses    |                                   |
|     required, and tools available |                                   |
|     to quantify benefits          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Develop methods for measuring |                                   |
|     and quantifying, and          |                                   |
|     assessing benefits at         |                                   |
|     component, system, and        |                                   |
|     regional levels.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify and discuss how the  |                                   |
|     results and findings of this  |                                   |
|     project can be used for other |                                   |
|     evaluation activities (e.g.   |                                   |
|     benefit/cost analysis) and    |                                   |
|     applications (e.g. justify    |                                   |
|     additional funding, support   |                                   |
|     system expansion, etc.)       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A technical document          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A primer gears towards        |                                   |
|     non-technical audience        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach materials:           |                                   |
|     presentations, fact sheet,    |                                   |
|     and tri-fold brochure         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Transportation professionals,     |                                   |
| both public and private, who are  |                                   |
| responsible for planning,         |                                   |
| implementing, managing, and       |                                   |
| operating TMCs and 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 handbook will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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       |
| 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 Support 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.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -18-24 months                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The results and findings of this  |                                   |
| project will provide TMC          |                                   |
| practitioners a basis to justify  |                                   |
| additional funding, measure       |                                   |
| public acceptance, and support    |                                   |
| system upgrade and expansion.     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2005 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Developing  |                                   |
| and Delivering Roadway and Travel |                                   |
| **Project Number:** 2             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Condition Information             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Project Title:** Driver Use of  |                                   |
| En-Route Real-Time Travel Time    |                                   |
| Information                       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Travel time is one of the most    |                                   |
| important pieces of information   |                                   |
| that can be given to motorists.   |                                   |
| It is exactly the information     |                                   |
| they want, need, and can easily   |                                   |
| interpret and tailor to their     |                                   |
| specific trips. Transportation    |                                   |
| agencies have made en-route       |                                   |
| travel times available to the     |                                   |
| public via various methods,       |                                   |
| including changeable message      |                                   |
| signs (CMSs), in-vehicle display, |                                   |
| radio, telephone, and personal    |                                   |
| data assistants (PDAs). Travel    |                                   |
| time or delay information is      |                                   |
| typically given by destinations   |                                   |
| or roadway segment.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| There are a number of important   |                                   |
| unknowns. Exactly what            |                                   |
| information (travel time, speed,  |                                   |
| delay time, segment length, etc.) |                                   |
| should be supplied that will      |                                   |
| adequately meet the needs of      |                                   |
| en-route motorists? How can this  |                                   |
| information be presented in a     |                                   |
| timely and legible way that       |                                   |
| allows adequate decision time and |                                   |
| does not promote driver           |                                   |
| distraction? How would such       |                                   |
| information influence individual  |                                   |
| driver decisions? What is the     |                                   |
| propensity for drivers to divert  |                                   |
| (peak and off-peak periods) in    |                                   |
| response to en-route travel time  |                                   |
| information, how does the         |                                   |
| propensity change as a function   |                                   |
| of problem type, and what impact  |                                   |
| would this have on roadway        |                                   |
| network performance? Since posted |                                   |
| travel time or delay is not a     |                                   |
| predicted value but is based on   |                                   |
| information measured in the       |                                   |
| immediate past, how do drivers    |                                   |
| interpret real-time travel time   |                                   |
| information en route?             |                                   |
| Confirmation is needed concerning |                                   |
| whether drivers interpret travel  |                                   |
| time as an exact value, as an     |                                   |
| approximation, or do they         |                                   |
| consider the values higher or     |                                   |
| lower than that provided based on |                                   |
| their expectations of downstream  |                                   |
| conditions.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| In addition, research is needed   |                                   |
| to confirm whether it is better   |                                   |
| to provide elapsed travel time    |                                   |
| (continuously updated) through a  |                                   |
| problem location versus other     |                                   |
| direct measures of impacts (e.g., |                                   |
| delays, speeds, length of         |                                   |
| congestion, etc.). Another issue  |                                   |
| that will be of interest is that  |                                   |
| if commuter drivers see the same  |                                   |
| travel time values every day      |                                   |
| because traffic conditions do not |                                   |
| differ when no accident occurs on |                                   |
| the freeway, is credibility of    |                                   |
| the information lost?             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objectives of this study are  |                                   |
| to assess impacts of en-route     |                                   |
| real-time travel time information |                                   |
| on drivers, define the most       |                                   |
| effective way to provide en-route |                                   |
| real-time travel time             |                                   |
| information, and develop          |                                   |
| preliminary guidance to           |                                   |
| practitioners for delivering      |                                   |
| en-route travel time information. |                                   |
| The project will consider all     |                                   |
| aspects of delivery methods for   |                                   |
| providing en-route travel time    |                                   |
| information. This includes what   |                                   |
| information should be             |                                   |
| disseminated, how that            |                                   |
| information should be formatted   |                                   |
| and coded, and system operational |                                   |
| characteristics.                  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The following is an initial list  |                                   |
| of issues and topics that have    |                                   |
| been identified to be considered  |                                   |
| and addressed in this project.    |                                   |
| Issues to be addressed include,   |                                   |
| but will not be limited to:       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| #####                             |                                   |
| ### Literature Review and Summary |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A literature review related   |                                   |
|     to the policies, operation    |                                   |
|     and message design of         |                                   |
|     disseminating en-route travel |                                   |
|     time or delay information     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification and review of  |                                   |
|     the methods and technologies  |                                   |
|     related to providing          |                                   |
|     real-time en-route travel     |                                   |
|     time or delay information.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A review of relevant human    |                                   |
|     factors literature relating   |                                   |
|     to the effects of en-route    |                                   |
|     travel time or delay          |                                   |
|     information on drivers        |                                   |
|     performance and route         |                                   |
|     decisions.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Summary of the current state  |                                   |
|     of the practice with the      |                                   |
|     literature review findings.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Evaluation of Motorist           |                                   |
| Information Requirements and      |                                   |
| Preference]{.underline}           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task will determine what     |                                   |
| types of travel time information  |                                   |
| would be desirable to provide to  |                                   |
| motorists, through formal         |                                   |
| evaluation of the range of        |                                   |
| information needs typically       |                                   |
| required by travelers who are     |                                   |
| en-route. The information will    |                                   |
| include the distances or roadway  |                                   |
| segments over which travel time   |                                   |
| information is desired, uproad    |                                   |
| interchanges/intersections for    |                                   |
| which information about           |                                   |
| connecting routes is required,    |                                   |
| preference in receiving travel    |                                   |
| time vs. delay information, and   |                                   |
| format and coding of the          |                                   |
| information. The evaluation       |                                   |
| should examine: the effects of    |                                   |
| using various means to provide    |                                   |
| en-route travel time information  |                                   |
| on motorists, drivers'            |                                   |
| interpretation of real-time       |                                   |
| travel time information, and      |                                   |
| drivers' use of en-route travel   |                                   |
| time information for travel       |                                   |
| decisions. The analysis should    |                                   |
| include a broad range of          |                                   |
| representative roadway networks,  |                                   |
| as well as a range of prototype   |                                   |
| commutes (varying origins, trips  |                                   |
| to/from central business          |                                   |
| districts, suburb to suburb       |                                   |
| commutes, etc.). The analysis     |                                   |
| should include consideration of   |                                   |
| local commuter travel patterns.   |                                   |
| It should also incorporate data   |                                   |
| collected from study participants |                                   |
| who are local drivers. Such data  |                                   |
| may be collected using techniques |                                   |
| such as focus groups, verbal      |                                   |
| protocol recording during actual  |                                   |
| commutes, driver logs, and/or     |                                   |
| simulated trips. The findings     |                                   |
| should be organized in a manner   |                                   |
| that permits generalized          |                                   |
| estimates of the information      |                                   |
| needs of en-route motorists.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ######## Research Report          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task will develop a research |                                   |
| report that documents the methods |                                   |
| and findings of the project in a  |                                   |
| final report. The report will     |                                   |
| also provide guidance and         |                                   |
| recommended practices for         |                                   |
| providing real-time en-route      |                                   |
| travel time information.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ######## Reco                     |                                   |
| mmendations for Further Research, |                                   |
|  Training, and Technical Transfer |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A listing of recommendations  |                                   |
|     for further research,         |                                   |
|     development, or testing       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A listing of recommendations  |                                   |
|     for other initiatives         |                                   |
|     necessary to facilitate the   |                                   |
|     successful transfer and       |                                   |
|     incorporation of the research |                                   |
|     findings and recommended      |                                   |
|     guidance and practices        |                                   |
|     produced in this effort into  |                                   |
|     transportation systems        |                                   |
|     management                    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A research report that        |                                   |
|     includes detailed research    |                                   |
|     results, provides guidance,   |                                   |
|     and suggests recommended      |                                   |
|     practices related to          |                                   |
|     providing real-time en-route  |                                   |
|     travel time information       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A white paper identifying     |                                   |
|     needs for further research    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Personnel in state, regional, |                                   |
|     and local transportation      |                                   |
|     agencies that are responsible |                                   |
|     for or involved with          |                                   |
|     providing real-time en-route  |                                   |
|     travel time information.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Research community.           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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 documents will be available  |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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       |
| 300,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support 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.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -24 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2005 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Developing  |                                   |
| and Delivering Roadway and Travel |                                   |
| **Project Number:** 3             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Condition Information             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Project Title:** Developing     |                                   |
| Travel Time Information           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Travel time is one of the most    |                                   |
| important pieces of information   |                                   |
| that can be given to motorists.   |                                   |
| It is exactly the information     |                                   |
| they want, need, and can easily   |                                   |
| interpret and tailor to their     |                                   |
| specific trips. The problem is    |                                   |
| that travel time is not simple to |                                   |
| calculate, has a very short shelf |                                   |
| life, and requires some           |                                   |
| significant infrastructure to     |                                   |
| obtain the information. There     |                                   |
| have been a number of approaches  |                                   |
| taken 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. It   |                                   |
| is also possible that some other  |                                   |
| forms of pattern recognition      |                                   |
| might be utilized or some fusing  |                                   |
| of multiple data sources.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| However, posted travel time is    |                                   |
| not a predicted value but is      |                                   |
| based on information measured in  |                                   |
| the immediate past. 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.       |                                   |
| Guidance and recommended          |                                   |
| practices on the concepts,        |                                   |
| methods, techniques, and          |                                   |
| procedures for TMCs to collect,   |                                   |
| calculate, and predict travel     |                                   |
| time information is needed.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project will review and      |                                   |
| synthesize the state of the       |                                   |
| practice, successful stories, and |                                   |
| lessons learned around the        |                                   |
| country as well as develop a      |                                   |
| technical document that provides  |                                   |
| guidance and recommended          |                                   |
| practices on the concepts,        |                                   |
| methods, techniques, and          |                                   |
| procedures for TMCs to collect,   |                                   |
| calculate, and predict travel     |                                   |
| time information. Factors related |                                   |
| to calculation and prediction of  |                                   |
| travel times, for example,        |                                   |
| desirable segmentation for travel |                                   |
| time calculation and reporting,   |                                   |
| would be identified. Issues       |                                   |
| related to developing arterial    |                                   |
| and intercity travel time         |                                   |
| information would also be         |                                   |
| addressed. In addition,           |                                   |
| procedures and techniques for     |                                   |
| predicting and updating future    |                                   |
| travel time information would be  |                                   |
| sought out and summarized. The    |                                   |
| most promising algorithms for     |                                   |
| travel time calculation and       |                                   |
| prediction would be identified    |                                   |
| and evaluated.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The project will include the      |                                   |
| following tasks:                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ######## Task A                   |                                   |
| . Literature Review and Synthesis |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A literature review related   |                                   |
|     to the policies, procedures,  |                                   |
|     and operations related to     |                                   |
|     developing travel time        |                                   |
|     information.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification and review of  |                                   |
|     the functions, capabilities,  |                                   |
|     technologies, and algorithms  |                                   |
|     related to developing         |                                   |
|     real-time travel time         |                                   |
|     information.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Review of current practice    |                                   |
|     and state of the practice.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification of best        |                                   |
|     practice and benefits.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Development of a synthesis    |                                   |
|     report to summarize above     |                                   |
|     review findings.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ######## Tas                      |                                   |
| k B. Develop a Technical Document |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Key topics and issues to be       |                                   |
| covered in the document may       |                                   |
| include, but not be limited to:   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Methods, techniques,          |                                   |
|     procedures, algorithms, and   |                                   |
|     analysis required to          |                                   |
|     predicting, calculating, and  |                                   |
|     updating travel time          |                                   |
|     information                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Travel time development for   |                                   |
|     freeways, arterials, and      |                                   |
|     intercity travel              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Infrastructure requirements   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Data requirements             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Data collection and data      |                                   |
|     quality                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Software development          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Travel time segment           |                                   |
|     determination                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Travel time reliability       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Most promising travel time    |                                   |
|     calculation and prediction    |                                   |
|     algorithms identification and |                                   |
|     evaluation                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   System operations issues,     |                                   |
|     including staffing and        |                                   |
|     resources requirements,       |                                   |
|     operational procedures and    |                                   |
|     operations, and               |                                   |
|     cross-jurisdictional          |                                   |
|     operations                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Funding issues, including     |                                   |
|     costs to implement, operation |                                   |
|     and maintain the system (both |                                   |
|     hardware, software, and       |                                   |
|     infrastructure required)      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Case study, best practice and |                                   |
|     benefits                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### T                           |                                   |
| ask C. Produce Outreach Materials |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task will produce a          |                                   |
| presentation, a tri-fold          |                                   |
| brochure, and a fact sheet to     |                                   |
| facilitate outreach and awareness |                                   |
| of the project and products.      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A technical document that     |                                   |
|     will guide practitioners in   |                                   |
|     how to collect, develop,      |                                   |
|     predict, and interpret travel |                                   |
|     time information to the       |                                   |
|     traveling public.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A presentation, brochure, and |                                   |
|     fact sheet to facilitate      |                                   |
|     outreach and awareness of the |                                   |
|     project and products.         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Transportation professionals,     |                                   |
| both public and private, who 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 documents will be available  |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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       |
| 125,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support 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.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -14 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project would provide        |                                   |
| practitioners with knowledge      |                                   |
| about currently available tools   |                                   |
| to develop and generate automated |                                   |
| travel time reports. It would     |                                   |
| also provide them with the        |                                   |
| knowledge of different types of   |                                   |
| technologies (existing/future)    |                                   |
| that can be used to collect,      |                                   |
| calculate, and analyze the        |                                   |
| information. It would enable them |                                   |
| to identify the most practical    |                                   |
| methods 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 2005 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Developing, |                                   |
| Training, Hiring, and Contracting |                                   |
| for **Project Number:** 4         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > TMC Staff and Services          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Project Title:** Requirements   |                                   |
| and Position Descriptions for TMC |                                   |
| Support Staff                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The need to identify TMC staffing |                                   |
| requirements in a manner that     |                                   |
| would lead to appropriate job     |                                   |
| classifications and might also    |                                   |
| provide guidance in TMC design is |                                   |
| one of the highest priority       |                                   |
| issues for many transportation    |                                   |
| operating agencies. It is often   |                                   |
| difficult to establish TMC        |                                   |
| personnel job classifications     |                                   |
| that attract and retain           |                                   |
| individuals who have the skill    |                                   |
| and judgment required for TMC     |                                   |
| operations. In addition,          |                                   |
| insufficient consideration is     |                                   |
| sometimes given to the available  |                                   |
| staffing pool when designing      |                                   |
| TMCs. There are currently very    |                                   |
| limited guidelines or sample      |                                   |
| position descriptions that TMC    |                                   |
| managers can use to communicate   |                                   |
| staffing requirements to          |                                   |
| designers, personnel offices,     |                                   |
| legislators, labor unions, etc.   |                                   |
| There is little documentation on  |                                   |
| establishing job classification   |                                   |
| schemes for integrated TMCs, and  |                                   |
| there are few objective criteria  |                                   |
| with which alternative staffing   |                                   |
| plans can be evaluated.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The TMC Pooled Fund Study (PFS)   |                                   |
| funded the "TMC Operator          |                                   |
| Requirements and Position         |                                   |
| Descriptions" Project in 2002 to  |                                   |
| produce a technical document that |                                   |
| provides guidance on developing   |                                   |
| TMC operator knowledge, skill,    |                                   |
| and ability (KSA) requirements,   |                                   |
| job classifications, and position |                                   |
| description. However, the         |                                   |
| material produced in the previous |                                   |
| effort focused solely on the KSA  |                                   |
| requirements for TMC control room |                                   |
| operating personnel (operators).  |                                   |
| It does not provide KSA           |                                   |
| requirements, job classifications |                                   |
| and position descriptions for     |                                   |
| additional personnel of the core  |                                   |
| technical team that support the   |                                   |
| day-to-day operations of a TMC.   |                                   |
| Such personnel include            |                                   |
| maintenance technicians,          |                                   |
| technology and engineering        |                                   |
| support, system administrative    |                                   |
| personnel.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Currently guidance and tools do   |                                   |
| not exist to allow agencies to    |                                   |
| assess needs and determine KSA's  |                                   |
| required to perform tasks and     |                                   |
| services required to support the  |                                   |
| TMC. TMC PFS projects to date     |                                   |
| have only addressed such issues   |                                   |
| related to operators in the       |                                   |
| control room. This project would  |                                   |
| build off of the information      |                                   |
| already compiled for operators    |                                   |
| and fill the need for guidance to |                                   |
| transportation operating agencies |                                   |
| in developing KSA requirements    |                                   |
| and job classifications and       |                                   |
| descriptions for the TMC          |                                   |
| maintenance technicians,          |                                   |
| technology and engineering        |                                   |
| support, and system               |                                   |
| administrative personnel. This    |                                   |
| project would also include        |                                   |
| expanding the capability of the   |                                   |
| interactive software developed in |                                   |
| previous TMC PFS efforts by       |                                   |
| incorporating additional          |                                   |
| information that would be         |                                   |
| developed in this project. This   |                                   |
| project would also provide        |                                   |
| guidance to allow agencies to     |                                   |
| address these other needs.        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project would build off of   |                                   |
| information already compiled for  |                                   |
| operators in a previous effort    |                                   |
| and compiling the needed          |                                   |
| information related to KSA's for  |                                   |
| other tasks and services required |                                   |
| to support TMCs. It would provide |                                   |
| a method to support operating     |                                   |
| agencies and contractors in:      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification of support     |                                   |
|     personnel KSA requirements    |                                   |
|     associated with typical TMC   |                                   |
|     operations and tasks.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification of personnel   |                                   |
|     training requirements based   |                                   |
|     on the KSA requirements.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Development of position       |                                   |
|     descriptions and job          |                                   |
|     classifications (entry level, |                                   |
|     full performance, and         |                                   |
|     advanced) based on the tasks  |                                   |
|     the personnel is required to  |                                   |
|     perform.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Assessment of methods and     |                                   |
|     techniques to enhance the     |                                   |
|     interactive software tool for |                                   |
|     TMC operator requirements     |                                   |
|     with the additional           |                                   |
|     information related to        |                                   |
|     developing TMC staffing       |                                   |
|     requirements, KSA's, and      |                                   |
|     position descriptions.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| #####                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The suggested approach includes:  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| #####                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Task A. Sourc               |                                   |
| e Review and TMC Sample Selection |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The product of this task would be |                                   |
| a summary of the available        |                                   |
| sources on TMC functions and the  |                                   |
| associated tasks for non-operator |                                   |
| personnel. This source review     |                                   |
| would form the foundation for the |                                   |
| work that follows. In addition to |                                   |
| a review of source materials on   |                                   |
| TMC functions, a sample of TMCs   |                                   |
| would be identified to serve as   |                                   |
| examples of the gamut of common   |                                   |
| TMC functions and tasks for       |                                   |
| non-operator personnel.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Task B                      |                                   |
| . Task Description/Identification |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The product of this task would be |                                   |
| a task description for each of    |                                   |
| the functions identified in Task  |                                   |
| A. The task description would     |                                   |
| include input requirements,       |                                   |
| processing requirements, output   |                                   |
| requirements, and performance     |                                   |
| requirements. For the approved    |                                   |
| functions and high-level tasks    |                                   |
| identified in Task A, develop,    |                                   |
| via task descriptions, low-level  |                                   |
| task requirements only to a level |                                   |
| sufficient to support performance |                                   |
| Tasks C, D, and E.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| #####                             |                                   |
| Task C. Identify KSA requirements |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The product of this task would be |                                   |
| a set of requirements that        |                                   |
| relates non-operator tasks to     |                                   |
| knowledge, skill, and ability     |                                   |
| requirements. Supporting          |                                   |
| documentation would encompass the |                                   |
| knowledge requirements, skill     |                                   |
| requirements, and ability         |                                   |
| requirements (KSA\'s) as a        |                                   |
| function of the tasks the TMC     |                                   |
| personnel must perform. Skill     |                                   |
| requirements refer to levels of   |                                   |
| proficiency in exercising         |                                   |
| knowledge or performing tasks.    |                                   |
| Knowledge requirements refer to   |                                   |
| the information necessary to (1)  |                                   |
| qualify for the position (entry   |                                   |
| level), and (2) the information   |                                   |
| that must be acquired after       |                                   |
| assuming a position. Knowledge    |                                   |
| may be assessed by measuring the  |                                   |
| accuracy of responses to a        |                                   |
| standard set of questions. Skill  |                                   |
| may be assessed by performance    |                                   |
| time and accuracy assessments.    |                                   |
| Ability refers to basic           |                                   |
| intellectual and physical         |                                   |
| capacities necessary to           |                                   |
| successfully perform a job,       |                                   |
| acquire the necessary skills, and |                                   |
| apply the necessary knowledge.    |                                   |
| Ability may be assessed by        |                                   |
| aptitude tests or may be assumed  |                                   |
| based on level of education and   |                                   |
| job history.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task D. Training                 |                                   |
| Requirements]{.underline}         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The product of this task would be |                                   |
| a set of task descriptions to     |                                   |
| staffing training requirements.   |                                   |
| Task D would be performed in      |                                   |
| parallel with Task C.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task E. Comparable Job           |                                   |
| Classifications]{.underline}      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The product of this task would    |                                   |
| provide TMC managers with         |                                   |
| information that would be helpful |                                   |
| in determining appropriate job    |                                   |
| classification categories for TMC |                                   |
| personnel. Because job            |                                   |
| classification encompasses all    |                                   |
| the functions and the many tasks  |                                   |
| that TMC staff may perform, it is |                                   |
| not amenable to the same approach |                                   |
| used for the KSA and training     |                                   |
| matrices. Job classifications     |                                   |
| must be based on an assessment of |                                   |
| all the requirements for a        |                                   |
| particular job. Therefore, the    |                                   |
| first step in this task is to     |                                   |
| identify job descriptions that    |                                   |
| are representative, or            |                                   |
| prototypical, of those for        |                                   |
| non-operator positions in many    |                                   |
| TMCs.                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ###                               |                                   |
| ## Task F. Develop Summary Report |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task would produce a summary |                                   |
| report that would incorporate and |                                   |
| summarize the results of all      |                                   |
| previous tasks.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### T                           |                                   |
| ask G. Implement Tool Enhancement |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This task would expand and        |                                   |
| enhance the interactive software  |                                   |
| tool for TMC operator             |                                   |
| requirements with the additional  |                                   |
| information related to developing |                                   |
| KSA requirements, job             |                                   |
| classifications, and position     |                                   |
| descriptions for the support      |                                   |
| staff of TMCs.                    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   An enhanced interactive tool  |                                   |
|     for developing TMC staff      |                                   |
|     requirements and position     |                                   |
|     descriptions                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A project summary report      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach material:            |                                   |
|     presentation, fact sheet,     |                                   |
|     tri-fold brochure, and FAQ's  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   State and local agency TMC    |                                   |
|     managers, supervisors, and    |                                   |
|     human resource personnel.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Private sector companies who  |                                   |
|     provide contract services to  |                                   |
|     TMCs.                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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 report and software tool     |                                   |
| will be available via the         |                                   |
| Internet.                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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       |
| 175,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support 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.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -18-24 months                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The products developed in this    |                                   |
| project will:                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   assist TMC managers,          |                                   |
|     supervisors, and human        |                                   |
|     resource personnel in using   |                                   |
|     the information to easily and |                                   |
|     quickly arrive at the basic   |                                   |
|     KSA\'s for descriptions of    |                                   |
|     jobs and associated tasks in  |                                   |
|     their particular TMCs.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   establish TMC staff job       |                                   |
|     classifications that attract  |                                   |
|     and retain individuals who    |                                   |
|     have the skill and judgment   |                                   |
|     required for TMC operations.  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2005 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Improving   |                                   |
| Day-to-Day Operations of TMCs     |                                   |
| **Project Number:** 5             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Project Title:** Techniques for |                                   |
| Managing Service Patrol           |                                   |
| Operations                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Over the past decade, states have |                                   |
| increasingly implemented service  |                                   |
| patrols on freeway and arterial   |                                   |
| roadways in an effort to combat   |                                   |
| the congestion and safety impacts |                                   |
| of minor traffic incidents, such  |                                   |
| as vehicle disablements,          |                                   |
| property-damage-only crashes, and |                                   |
| debris-in-roadway. Service Patrol |                                   |
| is an incident management measure |                                   |
| designed to assist disabled       |                                   |
| vehicles along roadway segments   |                                   |
| and relieve peak period           |                                   |
| nonrecurrent congestion through   |                                   |
| quick detection, verification and |                                   |
| removal of traffic incidents.     |                                   |
| Service patrols usually operate   |                                   |
| on beats along a pre-defined      |                                   |
| stretch of highway, although      |                                   |
| sometimes they are dispatched on  |                                   |
| demand. The hours of operation    |                                   |
| vary with locality and with the   |                                   |
| specific purpose of the clearance |                                   |
| effort. Over 70 freeway service   |                                   |
| patrol programs operate around    |                                   |
| the country with 45 programs      |                                   |
| initiated since 1992. Majority of |                                   |
| this are funded by state DOTs and |                                   |
| highly cost effective.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Several metropolitan areas, as    |                                   |
| apart of incident management      |                                   |
| programs have implemented service |                                   |
| patrols with a goal to restore    |                                   |
| the freeway to full capacity      |                                   |
| after the incident occurs and to  |                                   |
| provide information to motorists  |                                   |
| until the incident is cleared. A  |                                   |
| swift response to incidents       |                                   |
| reduces the chance of secondary   |                                   |
| accidents and bottlenecks.        |                                   |
| Service patrol also benefit law   |                                   |
| enforcement agencies by reducing  |                                   |
| the amount of time officers spend |                                   |
| on non-enforcement activities     |                                   |
| such as helping stranded vehicles |                                   |
| on the freeways. Numerous studies |                                   |
| have shown that service patrols   |                                   |
| are cost effective for mitigating |                                   |
| the effects, including            |                                   |
| congestion-induced delay and the  |                                   |
| occurrence of secondary traffic   |                                   |
| incidents, of minor traffic       |                                   |
| incidents. Other studies have     |                                   |
| typically focused on design of    |                                   |
| service patrol routes and         |                                   |
| frequency of beats in addition to |                                   |
| traffic incident removal          |                                   |
| practices and associated          |                                   |
| performance measures.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Since the time many service       |                                   |
| patrols commenced operation,      |                                   |
| service patrol practices have     |                                   |
| evolved to incorporate new: (1)   |                                   |
| technology applications for       |                                   |
| improved monitoring and           |                                   |
| operations integration, (2)       |                                   |
| patrol and service delivery       |                                   |
| mechanisms, (3) funding           |                                   |
| mechanisms, and (4) performance   |                                   |
| monitoring. As such, management   |                                   |
| of service patrol operations has  |                                   |
| stepped into a new era with those |                                   |
| evolutions.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Information and resources related |                                   |
| to techniques for managing        |                                   |
| service patrol operations have    |                                   |
| been limited. This project        |                                   |
| proposes a synthesis study for    |                                   |
| the purpose of identifying the    |                                   |
| current best practices, state of  |                                   |
| the practices, and models and     |                                   |
| innovative techniques for         |                                   |
| managing service patrol           |                                   |
| operations. The synthesis study   |                                   |
| would address topics including,   |                                   |
| but not being limited to, service |                                   |
| patrol operation models, service  |                                   |
| patrol vehicle and resource       |                                   |
| requirements (including           |                                   |
| technology, training),            |                                   |
| dispatching versus roving patrol, |                                   |
| funding mechanisms including      |                                   |
| public versus private ownership,  |                                   |
| performance tracking, and         |                                   |
| portable and mobile technology    |                                   |
| applications.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The suggested approach to the     |                                   |
| project includes:                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Literature review and         |                                   |
|     synthesis of the current      |                                   |
|     practices and state of the    |                                   |
|     practice and identify the     |                                   |
|     gaps in practices.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify issues, models,      |                                   |
|     methods, techniques, and      |                                   |
|     procedures for managing       |                                   |
|     service patrol operations.    |                                   |
|     Topics may include, but not   |                                   |
|     be limited to:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|     -   Operation models of       |                                   |
|         service patrols and       |                                   |
|         similar business (such as |                                   |
|         police, auto club, etc.)  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|     -   Staffing and resource     |                                   |
|         requirements for          |                                   |
|         operations.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|     -   Methods and techniques to |                                   |
|         determine service patrol  |                                   |
|         routes and frequency of   |                                   |
|         service patrol beats for  |                                   |
|         different types of        |                                   |
|         region.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|     -   Patrol and delivery       |                                   |
|         mechanisms.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|     -   Types of funding          |                                   |
|         mechanisms (public versus |                                   |
|         private) and pros and     |                                   |
|         cons of each mechanism.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|     -   Performance measures and  |                                   |
|         evaluation criteria for   |                                   |
|         the evaluation of service |                                   |
|         patrol operations.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Produce a synthesis report    |                                   |
|     summarizing the results and   |                                   |
|     findings and suggesting needs |                                   |
|     for further research.         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A Synthesis Report            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Fact Sheet                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technical Presentation        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The primary audience will be      |                                   |
| agencies and personnel            |                                   |
| responsible for planning,         |                                   |
| operations and management of      |                                   |
| service patrols. The secondary    |                                   |
| audience will be transportation   |                                   |
| and public safety agencies        |                                   |
| involved with traffic incident    |                                   |
| management.                       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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 Synthesis Report will be     |                                   |
| available via the Internet.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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       |
| [\$100,000]{.underline}           | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support 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.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -12 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The results of the study will     |                                   |
| benefit agencies seeking to       |                                   |
| initiate a new service patrol,    |                                   |
| upgrade existing service patrol   |                                   |
| operations, or formulate revised  |                                   |
| service requirements for either   |                                   |
| publicly or privately operated    |                                   |
| service patrols.                  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**TMC Pooled-Fund Study 2005 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Category:** Developing  |                                   |
| and Delivering Roadway and Travel |                                   |
| **Project Number:** 6             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Condition Information             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Project Title:** Best Practices |                                   |
| for Road Condition Reporting      |                                   |
| Systems                           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Conditions of surface             |                                   |
| transportation impact roadway     |                                   |
| safety, mobility, and             |                                   |
| productivity. Adverse road        |                                   |
| conditions, such as congestion,   |                                   |
| construction, crashes, special    |                                   |
| events, and weather, impact       |                                   |
| mobility by increasing travel     |                                   |
| time delay, reducing throughput   |                                   |
| and speeds, increasing speed      |                                   |
| variance, and decreasing roadway  |                                   |
| capacity. Such events influence   |                                   |
| productivity by disrupting access |                                   |
| to road networks, and increasing  |                                   |
| road operating and maintenance    |                                   |
| costs.                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Three types of travel management  |                                   |
| strategies may be employed in     |                                   |
| response to such adverse          |                                   |
| conditions: advisory, control,    |                                   |
| and response strategies. Advisory |                                   |
| strategies provide information on |                                   |
| prevailing and predicted          |                                   |
| conditions to both transportation |                                   |
| managers and motorists. Control   |                                   |
| strategies alter the state of     |                                   |
| roadway devices to permit or      |                                   |
| restrict traffic flow and         |                                   |
| regulate roadway capacity.        |                                   |
| Response strategies supply        |                                   |
| resources to minimize or mitigate |                                   |
| impacts.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Real-time or near real-time road  |                                   |
| condition information collection  |                                   |
| and reporting plays a crucial     |                                   |
| role in support of travel         |                                   |
| management strategies. Road       |                                   |
| condition reporting systems must  |                                   |
| be accurate, timely and reliable. |                                   |
| The advent and expanded use of    |                                   |
| road condition reporting systems  |                                   |
| shows potential for improving the |                                   |
| identification of factors         |                                   |
| contributing to safety and for    |                                   |
| improving guidance provided to    |                                   |
| travelers as well as response     |                                   |
| personnel during or preceding     |                                   |
| times of adverse events.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Many transportation agencies have |                                   |
| deployed road condition reporting |                                   |
| systems as part of integrated     |                                   |
| road weather information and      |                                   |
| management systems. The           |                                   |
| attributes of those systems vary  |                                   |
| among agencies as well as being   |                                   |
| unique regional characteristics.  |                                   |
| Practitioners and researchers     |                                   |
| could be benefited from a         |                                   |
| collection of current best        |                                   |
| practices and state of the        |                                   |
| practices in planning, design,    |                                   |
| and operation of road condition   |                                   |
| reporting systems.                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The purpose of this project is to |                                   |
| review and synthesize current     |                                   |
| best practices and state of the   |                                   |
| practices in planning, design,    |                                   |
| and operation of road condition   |                                   |
| reporting systems as well as in   |                                   |
| integrating such systems with     |                                   |
| other road weather                |                                   |
| information/management systems.   |                                   |
| This project will include the     |                                   |
| following tasks:                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Literature Review           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Review literature on current  |                                   |
|     best                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|   practices/state-of-the-practice |                                   |
|     in road condition reporting   |                                   |
|     systems                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Review literature related to  |                                   |
|     integrating road condition    |                                   |
|     reporting systems with other  |                                   |
|     road weather                  |                                   |
|     information/management        |                                   |
|     systems                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ##### Resear                      |                                   |
| ch and Document Agency Experience |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Each case study should include a  |                                   |
| general description of the        |                                   |
| system, system components,        |                                   |
| technologies, operational         |                                   |
| procedures, transportation        |                                   |
| outcome, implementation and       |                                   |
| integration issues, as well as    |                                   |
| contact information and           |                                   |
| references. Information to be     |                                   |
| researched includes but is not    |                                   |
| limited to:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   System and functional         |                                   |
|     requirements                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   System components: software,  |                                   |
|     hardware, field devices,      |                                   |
|     communications, interfaces,   |                                   |
|     etc.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   System operations:            |                                   |
|     operational procedures of the |                                   |
|     system                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Transportation outcome:       |                                   |
|     results and benefit realized  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Implementation issues         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Integration issues:           |                                   |
|     integration with other        |                                   |
|     systems such as the Internet  |                                   |
|     and 511, including methods of |                                   |
|     data feeds (automatic or      |                                   |
|     manual)                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Case studies                  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A synthesis report            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach materials, including |                                   |
|     presentation and fact sheet   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Transportation professionals,     |                                   |
| both public and private, who are  |                                   |
| responsible for planning,         |                                   |
| managing, and operating           |                                   |
| transportation management systems |                                   |
| and traveler information 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 report will be available via |                                   |
| the Internet.                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| 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       |
| 100,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support 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.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -12 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+