# Presentation: 193984

**Talking Technology & Transportation (T3) Webinar**
**July 25, 2007**

## Regional Context

**Regional Context**

- Pima Association of Governments
- 	(PAG) is MPO for Tucson, Arizona
- 9 member agencies:
- 2 cities, 3 towns, 1 county, state,
- 	2 Indian tribes
- Tucson metropolitan area consists of
- 	approximately 1,000,000 people
- Current collaboration:
- Regional Transportation Authority
- PAG committee structure
- Strong ITS planning
- Single traffic signal system (i2)

**Notes:**
Here is a map showing the PAG boundaries in relation to some of the other MPOs and COG ( Council of Governments) in Arizona.

## Motivation for RCTO

- Region is highly dependent upon arterial system
- Interstate-10 reconstruction over next 3-years
- Regional ITS Strategic Plan and Architecture
- Potential passage of 1⁄2 cent sales tax for transportation

## Development Process

- Establish framework for a multi-year RCTO program
- “Drill-down, target approach”
- Began wide, narrowed in on immediate needs
- Greater detail on immediate needs
- Other needs will be addressed over time

## Operations Areas

- Traffic Incident Management
- Arterial Management
- Freeway Management
- Work Zone Management
- Traveler Information
- Others Category (transit, homeland security)

## Development Process

**Identified ****Multiple ****Operations ****Areas**

**Selected ****Focus Operations **
**Areas**

**Prioritized  **
**Needed **
**Policies**

**Development Process**

- PAG Regional
- Concept for
- Transportation
- Operations

## Development Process

**Identified Multiple Operations Areas**
- Vision Statement
- Conducted Inventory
- Established Goals and Performance Measures
**Selected Focus Operations Areas **
- Developed list of needed policies, practices, or procedures for focus areas
- 	1)	Arterial management
- 	2)	Work zone management
- 	3)	Traveler information
**Prioritized Needed Action Plans**
- Develop high-priority action plans
- Identify Resources and Institutional Relationships
- Update Tucson Area Operations Manual

## Example Action Plan Template

| Introduction:   |
| --- |
|      Establish a regional traffic signal operations program |
| Need:  |
|      Enhance ability to proactively manage the region’s traffic signal system |
| Institutional Arrangements:  |
|      Guided by PAG Subcommittee
     Consultant contracts managed by PAG
     Project-level working groups established on a project-by-project basis |
| Roles and Responsibilities:  |
|      Agencies retain control, but have certain participation obligations to the region  |
| Resources  Required and Estimated Costs: |
|      Agency staff time commitment
     On-call consultant program
     Identify funding mechanism |
| Status: |

**Notes:**
Performance measurement is in the resources required section

## Development Partners

- ADOT
- Traffic Operations Center (FMS, Phoenix)
- Tucson District, traffic engineering and project management
- Local jurisdictions:
- Traffic engineering
- Construction managers
- Information technology

## Development Partners

- Outreach to the following on a case-by-base basis (it’s more difficult to keep their attention throughout RCTO development process):
- Arizona Department of Public Safety
- Fire Chiefs Association
- Tucson Police Department
- SunTran (transit)
- Indian Communities

## Achievements and Implementation Activities

- Traveler information
-  -	Achieved agreement on regional traveler information framework/integration with existing statewide 511 system
- Regional program for gathering, producing, distributing traveler information.
- -	Building block for regional archived data center
- -	Funded through MPO work program

## Slide 12

## Achievements and Implementation Activities

- Arterial management
- -	Planning and programming for regional traffic signal program.  Physical infrastructure and services.
- -	Regional traffic signal services on-call program
- -	Provide assistance to local agencies to implement coordinated timing plans, etc.

## Achievements and Implementation Activities

- Work zone coordination
- -	Initiated monthly/bimonthly regional construction coordination meetings
- - 	Developed region wide map of existing and planned construction projects.  Developing update and maintenance protocols.

## RCTO and the Planning Process

- Challenge:
- 2 to 3 year timeframe does not fit in with traditional           5-year TIP cycle
- Solutions:
- Introduced TIP projects for future years
- Identified funding from recent sales tax initiative
- “Regionalizing” operations related projects
- Use existing resources, (MPO staff & work program funds)

## RCTO Implementation

- Implementation an important part of the RCTO process
- Stakeholders must remain engaged
- Money
- Tangible outcomes
- Sense of ownership
- Follow through on concepts - champions

## Insights and Observations

- Utilize existing committee structures
- RCTO is an evolving document - scaleable and can be expanded upon over time
- Initial operational objectives should be attainable
- 	- “low-hanging fruit”
- Most successful meetings are in smaller settings, rather than larger, more formal settings
- Operators natural tendency is to focus on the ‘equipment’
- Fight for operations projects/programs in TIP and RTP,
- 	- look to local agencies to help get you there

**T3 Webinar**
**July 25, 2007**

**Paul Casertano**
**(520) 792-1093**
_**pcasertano@pagnet.org**_