# Presentation: 069615

## ROAD WEATHER MANAGEMENT

**Paul Pisano**
**Team Leader, Road Weather Management**
**Federal Highway Administration**
**Washington, DC**

**June 13, 2006**
**Contact:  paul.pisano@dot.gov; 202-366-1301**

## Weather and Highway Operations

- Approx 1.57 million weather-related crashes/year
- 7,300 fatalities; 690,000 injuries
- 24% of all crashes occurred on slick pavement or under adverse weather
- Mobility
- About 25% of non-recurrent delays on freeways is due to weather; system delay is 1 billion hrs/yr.
- Productivity
- Weather-related delay adds $3.4 billion to freight costs annually
- Environment
- Chemical anti-icing and deicing materials effect watersheds, air quality and infrastructure

## Adverse Road Weather – National Toll 

- Adverse Road Weather – National Toll

## Transportation Operations

- Institutional
- Change
- Customer focused
- Performance based
- Systems, not jurisdictions
- Real-time information
- Proactive
- 24/7

- Technical
-     Advancement
- Information Gathering
- Information Sharing
- System Mgmt. & Control
- Vehicle-based
- Vehicle-to-Vehicle
- Vehicle-to-Roadside-to-
-      Home Based
- Electronic Payment

**21****st**** Century Operations**

## 21st Century OperationsUnder All Weather Conditions

- 21st Century OperationsUnder All Weather Conditions

- FHWA is providing leadership and direction:
- Institutional Change
- Bridge transportation and meteorological communities
- Build markets
- Technical Advancement
- Develop integrated solutions
- Leverage resources
- Developing solutions that alleviate the effects of adverse weather on the transportation system

**Notes:**
Since 1999 FHWA has taken a leadership role in Road Weather Management
We are providing direction with respect to the Institutional Change that must take place,
By building bridges across the transportation and meteorological communities
And building markets within the private sector
And we are also harnessing the Technical Advancements that are occurring on both the transportation and meteorological fronts by
Developing integrated solutions that merge advanced weather prediction with transportation-related decisions, and
Leveraging resources by taking advantage of this extensive information infrastructure
Our intent is to work amongst these communities to develop multi-disciplinary solutions that alleviate the safety, mobility and productivity problems that I spoke of earlier.
This is being carried out within that context of 21st Century Operations, and is consistent with the that vision...

## SAFETEA-LU, Section 5308

- Establish a Road Weather R&D program:
- Follow NRC report “Where the Weather Meets the Road”
- Promote Technology Transfer
- Expand Research & Development
- Multi-disciplinary stakeholder input:
- NOAA
- NSF
- AASHTO
- Private sector
- Non-profit orgs.
- Funding: $5m/yr for 4 years

## FHWA Road Weather Mgmt Program

-  Stakeholder Coordination
-  Applied Research
-  Technology Transfer, Training & Education
-  Performance Management & Evaluation

## Build formal partnerships with weather industry
Funded BASC study
FHWA/NOAA Memorandum of Understanding – July, 2005
OFCM Working Groups
AMS ITS/Surface Transportation Committee
Elevate the profile of weather within the transportation community
Established the TRB Task Force on weather
AASHTO
Strengthen international links (e.g., PIARC)

- Build formal partnerships with weather industry
- Funded BASC study
- FHWA/NOAA Memorandum of Understanding – July, 2005
- OFCM Working Groups
- AMS ITS/Surface Transportation Committee
- Elevate the profile of weather within the transportation community
- Established the TRB Task Force on weather
- AASHTO
- Strengthen international links (e.g., PIARC)

- Objective 1:  Stakeholder Coordination

**Notes:**
Road Weather Management (RWM) Roadmap

RWM program currently has a total budget of 2-3 Million dollars annually.

Goal 1: Partnerships and Collaboration
The most important federal partnership is the growing relationship between FHWA and NOAA. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed in Spring 2005 formalizing their partnering plan. FHWA is supportive of the efforts that are being made by NOAA and the NWS in surface weather.

Goal 2: Customer Service and Outreach
Develops training materials mainly for the highway community who RWIS in state and local DOTs

Goal 3: Program Management and Evaluation
Developing a means of measuring how well systems achieve the strategic goals of RWM

Goal 4: Tools and Technology
MDSS: The Maintenance Decision Support System combines state-of-the-art weather forecasting with computerized winter maintenance rules of practice. The system had two successful field tests in central Iowa during 2002-2004 and continues limited development in central Colorado this winter. The project has shifted into a technology transfer and outreach mode.
Clarus: The Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System will be described in more detail beginning with the next slide.

## Road weather observing systems
Clarus initiative
Decision support tools
Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
Weather-responsive traffic management

- Road weather observing systems
*Clarus* initiative
- Decision support tools
- Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
- Weather-responsive traffic management

- Objective 2:  Applied Research

**Notes:**
Road Weather Management (RWM) Roadmap

RWM program currently has a total budget of 2-3 Million dollars annually.

Goal 1: Partnerships and Collaboration
The most important federal partnership is the growing relationship between FHWA and NOAA. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed in Spring 2005 formalizing their partnering plan. FHWA is supportive of the efforts that are being made by NOAA and the NWS in surface weather.

Goal 2: Customer Service and Outreach
Develops training materials mainly for the highway community who RWIS in state and local DOTs

Goal 3: Program Management and Evaluation
Developing a means of measuring how well systems achieve the strategic goals of RWM

Goal 4: Tools and Technology
MDSS: The Maintenance Decision Support System combines state-of-the-art weather forecasting with computerized winter maintenance rules of practice. The system had two successful field tests in central Iowa during 2002-2004 and continues limited development in central Colorado this winter. The project has shifted into a technology transfer and outreach mode.
Clarus: The Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System will be described in more detail beginning with the next slide.

## Develop training & outreach material
NHI Course – “Principles and Tools for Road Weather Mgmt.”
ITE Professional Development CD
AASHTO Anti-icing/RWIS computer-based training
“Road Risk” DVD with The Weather Channel
Promote market-ready technologies (MDSS)
Ease access to Road Weather Management resources
Target conferences
AASHTO/FHWA Eastern Snow Expo
ITS America “Weather Alley”
AMS Annual Meeting

- Develop training & outreach material
- NHI Course – “Principles and Tools for Road Weather Mgmt.”
- ITE Professional Development CD
- AASHTO Anti-icing/RWIS computer-based training
- “Road Risk” DVD with The Weather Channel
- Promote market-ready technologies (MDSS)
- Ease access to Road Weather Management resources
- Target conferences
- AASHTO/FHWA Eastern Snow Expo
- ITS America “Weather Alley”
- AMS Annual Meeting

- Objective 3:  T2, Training & Education

**Notes:**
Road Weather Management (RWM) Roadmap

RWM program currently has a total budget of 2-3 Million dollars annually.

Goal 1: Partnerships and Collaboration
The most important federal partnership is the growing relationship between FHWA and NOAA. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed in Spring 2005 formalizing their partnering plan. FHWA is supportive of the efforts that are being made by NOAA and the NWS in surface weather.

Goal 2: Customer Service and Outreach
Develops training materials mainly for the highway community who RWIS in state and local DOTs

Goal 3: Program Management and Evaluation
Developing a means of measuring how well systems achieve the strategic goals of RWM

Goal 4: Tools and Technology
MDSS: The Maintenance Decision Support System combines state-of-the-art weather forecasting with computerized winter maintenance rules of practice. The system had two successful field tests in central Iowa during 2002-2004 and continues limited development in central Colorado this winter. The project has shifted into a technology transfer and outreach mode.
Clarus: The Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System will be described in more detail beginning with the next slide.

## Objective 4:  Performance Management

- Identify performance measures for Road Weather Management (with NOAA)
- Develop winter maintenance performance standards (NCHRP 6-17)
- Develop benefit-cost analysis procedures for Road Weather Management tools
- Conduct b/c analyses (e.g., MDSS)
- ITS deployment studies

**Notes:**
Road Weather Management (RWM) Roadmap

RWM program currently has a total budget of 2-3 Million dollars annually.

Goal 1: Partnerships and Collaboration
The most important federal partnership is the growing relationship between FHWA and NOAA. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed in Spring 2005 formalizing their partnering plan. FHWA is supportive of the efforts that are being made by NOAA and the NWS in surface weather.

Goal 2: Customer Service and Outreach
Develops training materials mainly for the highway community who RWIS in state and local DOTs

Goal 3: Program Management and Evaluation
Developing a means of measuring how well systems achieve the strategic goals of RWM

Goal 4: Tools and Technology
MDSS: The Maintenance Decision Support System combines state-of-the-art weather forecasting with computerized winter maintenance rules of practice. The system had two successful field tests in central Iowa during 2002-2004 and continues limited development in central Colorado this winter. The project has shifted into a technology transfer and outreach mode.
Clarus: The Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System will be described in more detail beginning with the next slide.

## Program Highlights

- The *Clarus* Initiative
- Weather-responsive Traffic Management
- New projects

**Notes:**
Road Weather Management (RWM) Roadmap

RWM program currently has a total budget of 2-3 Million dollars annually.

Goal 1: Partnerships and Collaboration
The most important federal partnership is the growing relationship between FHWA and NOAA. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed in Spring 2005 formalizing their partnering plan. FHWA is supportive of the efforts that are being made by NOAA and the NWS in surface weather.

Goal 2: Customer Service and Outreach
Develops training materials mainly for the highway community who RWIS in state and local DOTs

Goal 3: Program Management and Evaluation
Developing a means of measuring how well systems achieve the strategic goals of RWM

Goal 4: Tools and Technology
MDSS: The Maintenance Decision Support System combines state-of-the-art weather forecasting with computerized winter maintenance rules of practice. The system had two successful field tests in central Iowa during 2002-2004 and continues limited development in central Colorado this winter. The project has shifted into a technology transfer and outreach mode.
Clarus: The Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System will be described in more detail beginning with the next slide.

## Maintenance Decision Support System

- system that combines:
-  Advanced weather prediction
-  Advanced road condition prediction
-  Rules of practice for anti-icing and de-icing
- The system generates winter treatment
- recommendations on a route-by-route basis.

## Maintenance Decision Support System

## MDSS Treatment Selector

- States Involved in MDSS

## The Clarus Initiative

- Initiative Objectives:
- Design, develop and demonstrate these capabilities
- Work with our public and private partners to develop and evaluate the value-added road weather information products that *Clarus* enables
- Establish partnerships to move from demonstration to deployment of a nationwide network

- The *Clarus* Initiative

## Environmental Sensor Stations (ESS)

- An ESS is any site with sensors measuring atmospheric conditions, pavement conditions, and/or water level conditions.

**16**

**111**

**70**

**43**

**58**

**83**

**117**

**9**

**87**

**31**

**90**

**44**

**39**

**5**

**11**

**33**

**154**

**15**

**60**

**86**

**61**

**63**

**19**

**169**

**2**

**82**

**24**

**40**

**81**

**71**

**60**

**63**

**60**

**28**

**6**

**30**

**4**

**92**

**63**

**1**

**3**

**0**

**Alaska**

**74**

**4**

**15**

**4**

**Hawaii**

**1**

**D.C.**

**6**

**34**

**5**

_**National Total**_
**2,336**

**6**

_**ESS in RWIS**_
**1,815**

## Clarus

**Spawn New Technologies**
**(PDA, cell)**

***Clarus***

**In-vehicle**
**Information**

*Clarus* – Unlimited Possibilities

## Clarus Roadmap

*Clarus* Roadmap

## Integration of Weather into Traffic Management/Operations Center
Empirical Studies on Weather and Traffic
Weather Response System for Transportation
NGSIM Traffic Simulation Models

- Empirical Studies on Weather and Traffic
- Weather Response System for Transportation
- NGSIM Traffic Simulation Models

- Wx-Responsive Traffic Management

## Five levels of integration were analyzed
Operational, physical, technical, procedural, institutional
9 TMC’s/TOC’s were evaluated
Summary of Practices
Most centers respond to traffic, not weather
Info from Weather Channel and ESS
Weather info used mainly for advisory purposes
MD and UT centers highly integrated
Final Report includes several recommendations

- Operational, physical, technical, procedural, institutional
- 9 TMC’s/TOC’s were evaluated
- Summary of Practices
- Most centers respond to traffic, not weather
- Info from Weather Channel and ESS
- Weather info used mainly for advisory purposes
- MD and UT centers highly integrated
- Final Report includes several recommendations

- TMC Weather Integration Study

## Goal: To understand relationship between weather and traffic flow 
Completed review of existing data and studies
Impact of rain and snow moderately studied
Little research on visibility, wind and other events
Mostly macroscopic analysis 
Conducting Data Collection and Analysis
Investigate regional differences, variable facilities
Transition from free flow to congested flow
Visibility impacts
Future steps: 
Human factors data collection and analysis
Incorporate new knowledge in existing models

- Completed review of existing data and studies
- Impact of rain and snow moderately studied
- Little research on visibility, wind and other events
- Mostly macroscopic analysis
- Conducting Data Collection and Analysis
- Investigate regional differences, variable facilities
- Transition from free flow to congested flow
- Visibility impacts
- Future steps:
- Human factors data collection and analysis
- Incorporate new knowledge in existing models

- Empirical Studies on Wx and Traffic

## Goal: Utilize existing weather data to support transportation operations
Prototype Development in Missouri DOT

- Prototype Development in Missouri DOT

- Weather Response System

## Implementation and evaluation of the ESS Siting Guidelines
Develop a Needs Assessment Guide for integrating weather in TMC operations
Develop performance metrics for Road Weather Management
MDSS Cost-Benefit Analysis (w/S. Dakota)
Defining requirements for other types of weather-related decision making

- Develop a *Needs Assessment Guide* for integrating weather in TMC operations
- Develop performance metrics for Road Weather Management
- MDSS Cost-Benefit Analysis (w/S. Dakota)
- Defining requirements for other types of weather-related decision making

- New Projects

## We are in the midst of a culture change in surface transportation weather and operations
Creating demand for integrated solutions
Leveraging public sector resources to build markets and improve private sector services
Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships
Developing and applying the right tools and technologies will help transportation agencies make the right decisions.

- Creating demand for integrated solutions
- Leveraging public sector resources to build markets and improve private sector services
- Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships
- Developing and applying the right tools and technologies will help transportation agencies make the right decisions.

- Conclusion