# Presentation: 220774

## TMC Weather Integration Self-Evaluation and Planning Guide

**Chris Cluett**
**TMC Pooled Fund Meeting: Nashville**
**July 15, 2008**

## Weather Integration: What is Involved?

- Identifying Wx conditions
- Understanding Wx impacts
- Identifying TMC needs forweather information
- Current level of Weather integration
- Identifying available Wx integration strategies and making choices

**TMC Ops**

## RWMP Guidelines for Integration

- TMC team evaluates their needs and opportunities for enhanced weather integration
- An electronic version of the Guide sorts through the information provided by the TMC and identifies optional integration strategies
- TMCs develop a practical weather integration plan to implement those strategies

## Examples of Weather Integration inTMC Operations

- Increased internal weather information resources (e.g. camera imagery, use of satellite and ASOS data, etc.)
- Increased use of external weather information and forecasts
- Expanded availability of weather information
- More frequent weather forecasts (occasional to continuous)
- Use of more road weather observations
- Greater coordination of weather information within TMC, with maintenance, meteorology staff
- More extensive weather coverage
- Closer association with weather experts
- Automated weather alert notification
- Greater use of decision support systems (such as MDSS)

- Level 1 Cable channel or subscription weather information vendor providing  general weather information
- Level 2 Internet provided weather radar or satellite image on video wall
- Level 3 Field observers or ESS network providing scheduled road or driving condition reports
- Level 4 Vendor provided daily surface transportation weather forecasts and observed weather conditions
- Level 5 Meteorologist, located within TMC, forecasting and interpreting weather

## Strategic Approach to Encouraging Greater Weather Integration in TMCs

- Start with a few TMCs that can serve as models for others to emulate
- We have initially worked with the Sacramento Regional TMC (Caltrans District 3) and the Milwaukee State-wide TOC.
- Sacramento RTMC has prepared a detailed weather integration plan
- We have refined the Self-Evaluation Guide based on very helpful input from these two TMCs

## Flow-Chart for the Self-Evaluation Guideand Weather Integration Plan

- Flow-Chart for the Self-Evaluation Guideand Weather Integration Plan

- Characterize
- Regional
- Weather

- Weather
- Impacts on
- TMC Ops

- Existing Level
- of Weather
- Integration

- Operational
- Needs
- Assessment

**Step 1:**
**Self-Evaluation**

**Step 2:**
**Identify and**
**Describe Candidate**
**Weather Integration**
**Strategies**

**Step 3:**
**Develop Weather**
**Integration Plan**
**Based on the**
**Selected**
**Weather Integration**
**Strategies**

## Step 1a: Identify Regional Weather

## Step 1b: Identify Weather Impacts

- For the weather events identified, indicate their impact on traffic operations
- Increased travel times
- Increased crash risk
- Reduced roadway capacity
- Traffic management device impairment
- Disruption of CVO or specialized vehicle operations
- Road closures
- Other impacts (Please specify)

## Step 1c: Existing Level of Weather Integration in the TMC

## Step 1c: Existing Weather Integration Matrix

- For this example TMC, there is no weather integration for Item 1 (Weather Information Resources), and a high level for Item 4 (Frequency of Weather Forecasts) at Level 5.

- Integration Levels

- Items of Integration

- -

- 1

- 2

- 3

- 4

- 5

- 1

- 2

- 3

- 4

- Etc.

## Step 1d: Identifying TMC Operational Needs for Managing Weather

- 22 “needs statements” in five categories:
- Weather information gathering
- Institutional coordination
- Advisory functions
- Control functions
- Treatment Functions
- TMC can add additional needs statements
- Example need statement:
- Better short-term forecasts of arrival time, duration, and intensity of specific weather events at specific locations
- Ranking of needs by priority (high, medium, low)

## Step 2: Identify Candidate Integration Strategies Suitable for the TMC

- The strategy should address identified operational needs, taking into account the TMC’s current level of weather integration (the Guide does this matching)
- This approach follows a structured pathway towards meeting needs
**Maps integration strategies that minimally address each identified operational need**
**Clearly points to the next several higher levels of integration above current levels**
**Allows selection of an integration strategy below what would be required to fully address the need as an interim pathway to meeting that need**

## The Guide Allows TMCs to Select Optimal Weather Integration Strategies

- Item of Integration

- Current Level

- Level required to meet needs

- Possible Intermediate steps

- Select strategy here

## The Guide provides detailed information for the selected Integration Strategies 

- Information on strategies include
- Definition
- Relative complexity and costs (high/medium/low)
- Sample requirements for this strategy
- Five dimensions - Technical, operational, physical, procedural, institutional

## Next Steps

- Work with the Sacramento RTMC to implement their plan
- Develop a strategic marketing plan for the Guide
- Identify 3 new TMCs to work on their self-evaluation and plan development
- Update the Guide

## For More Information, Contact:

**Chris Cluett**
**Battelle**
**(206) 528-3333**
- _[cluett@battelle.org](mailto:cluett@battelle.org)_

**Roemer Alfelor**
**FHWA**
**(202) 366-9242**
_**Roemer.Alfelor@dot.gov**_