# Presentation: 725540

## Weather Information forSurface Transportation (WIST)Update on WG/WIST Activities and the 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium

**Paul Pisano**
- Federal Highway Admin.

**Jim O’Sullivan**
- National Weather Service

**July 18, 2007**

## Overview

- Purpose
- WIST – A Brief History
- Background
- Symposium Details
- Summary

## Purpose

- To update CESORN on Working Group WIST (WG/WIST) activities and the upcoming surface transportation weather symposium (July 25-27, 2007) and follow-on WG/WIST efforts

## WIST – A Brief History

- Two initial WIST symposia (1999, 2000)
*Weather Information for Surface Transportation – National Needs Assessment Report* (December 2002)
- AMS Policy Forum, *Weather and Highways* (November 2003)
- NRC report, *Where the Weather Meets the Road-A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services (*January 2004)
- OFCM WIST Working Group (WG/WIST) Charted by ICMSSR (2004)
- To develop WIST Research plan
- To develop WIST Implementation plan

## WIST – A Brief History

*Weather Information for Surface Transportation (WIST) Initiative Document - First Steps to Improve the Nation’s WIST Capabilities and Services* (September 2005)
- SAFETEA-LU, Section 5308 (2006)
*Clarus* initiative
- Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)
*Weather Information for Surface Transportation - Update on Weather Impacts and WIST Results* (August 2006)

## Background - Weather Impacts

- More than 24% are weather-related (1.57 million)
**Nearly 7,400 people killed and over 690,000 people injured**
- About 25% of non-recurrent delays on freeways are weather-related
- Weather-related delay adds $3.4 billion to freight costs annually
- Railway: 865 weather-related crashes between 1995 and 2005
**8 deaths, 1,242 injuries, and $189 million in property damage costs**
- Most crashes were associated with extreme temperature variations
- Marine Transportation System:  Between 1996 and 2000
**Weather-related causes accounted for 11% of marine transportation mishaps and 3.6% of all recreational boating mishaps**
- Transit: National weather-related mishap statistics not available
- However, overall safety incidents decreased from 2002 to 2004, resulting in a decrease of 32 fatalities and 278 injuries
- Pipeline:  In 2005, 4 weather-related fatalities and 14 injuries
**Three fatalities were attributed to incidents caused by temperature and one to high winds**
- Airport Ground Operations:  National statistics not available
- There are anecdotal examples of weather’s impact
**For example, all airport grounds operations cease when lightning is detected within a certain distance of an airport**

**Background - Weather Impacts**

## Background – WIST Improvements

- 2002 WIST Report, *Weather Information for Surface Transportation (WIST)—National Needs Assessment Report*
- Public, private, and academic coordination and collaboration on WIST programs has increased and may be starting to show progress
- Data collection and incident monitoring is limited, however, available, raw data show that progress may be occurring. For example:
**Roadways**:
- Weather-related roadway crash injuries declined by 3.5% (21, 023 injuries) in the first 2 years following the release of the WIST Report in 2002
- During the same period, vehicle-miles driven increased by 3.7%
- The 21,023 fewer injuries equate to about $0.5B saved in direct and indirect economic consequences
**Marine Transportation System**:
- From 2002 to 2004, weather-related recreational boating accidents decreased from 228, with 66 fatalities, to 178 with 43 fatalities
- Since 2002, weather has dropped out of the Coast Guard’s “Top Ten Contributing Factors” for recreational accidents

**Background – WIST Improvements**

**Notes:**
Not trying to say there is a direct link between WIST and decreases in injury levels, but something is causing it and WIST efforts could be one of the factors in the drop occurring.

## Background – WIST Improvements

- Annual average railway weather-related fatalities are much lower than  roadways
- Between 2002 and 2005, property damage attributed to weather-related railway accidents decreased by $1,016,378
- 511 and local TV/Radio broadcasts:
- Surveys of users of State “511” road information services show that users use information on weather conditions affecting their route of travel
- Most of these WIST users have altered their route or their travel plans to avoid weather-related hazards or delays
- Local television and radio stations now routinely carry combined traffic and weather updates specific to their broadcast area
- Trucking and automobile manufactures:
- Some roadway freight lines are equipping their trucks to receive NOAA Weather Radio anywhere on the Nation’s highways
- Automobile manufacturers equipping cars with radios that can receive NOAA Weather Radio

**Background – WIST Improvements**

## Background – WIST R&D Activities

- 18 organizations reported on 49 WIST-related R&D activities underway (see slide below for details)
- Not all inclusive--more work to be discovered

**Background – WIST R&D Activities**

**Notes:**
This includes activities such as:
AASHTO -- Winter Maintenance Technical Service Program (WMTSP) Snow and Ice Cooperative Program (SICOP) 
DOT/Volpe Center – Railroad Weather Analysis and Support
DOT/FTA -- Impacts of Climate Change on Transportation – Gulf Coast Case Study
FHWA – Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Functional Prototype
FHWA – Clarus Initiative – the Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System
FHWA – Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) Initiative
FHWA -- Traffic Management Center (TMC) Integration
University of Wisconsin – Road Weather Safety Audit
Mitretek – Vehicles as Mobile Sensing Platforms for Meteorological Observations: Introductory Research during a Winter Season
NOAA -- Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS)
NOAA – Climate Reference Network – Railroads
NOAA – Climate Change and Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation – Stability and Accuracy of HCM Level of Service in Darkness and Adverse Weather
The Weather Channel --HiRad (High Resolution Aggregate Data)
Western Transportation Institute -- Development of a Surface Transportation Weather Decision Support Tool and Strategic Plan for Improved Highway Operations in Montana
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency -- Winter storms, freezing/frozen precipitation and Heavy precipitation event warnings
Department of Defense (DOD) -- Integrated Road/Rail Information System

## Background – WIST Challenges

- Lessening weather’s impact in causing congestion
- Meeting travelers’ need for timely, local weather information
- Improving access to WIST before and during travel
- Enhancing surface transportation weather observation collection
- Incorporating WIST into warning and decision support processes
- Increasing user understanding of how to use WIST products

**Background – WIST Challenges**

**Notes:**
To prevent such events as:
 •  MARINE TRANSPORTATION COMMERCIAL ACCIDENTS.  ONE EXAMPLE IS THE BALTIMORE WATER TAXI ACCIDENT IN MARCH 2004, WHERE 25 WATER TAXI PASSENGERS WERE THROWN INTO THE FRIGID WATERS OF BALTIMORE'S INNER HARBOR.  THE TRAGEDY CLAIMED THE LIVES OF FIVE PASSENGERS, INCLUDING A 6-YEAR-OLD BOY.  THE 36-FOOT SEAPORT WATER TAXI CAPSIZED IN A SUDDEN THUNDERSTORM IN WHICH WIND GUSTS REACHED 55 MPH
  A MAJOR SNOW EVENT IN DECEMBER 2006.
  “CARS AND SEMI-TRUCKS SKIDDED OFF A 70-MILE STRETCH OF I-80 IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS, BRINGING TRAFFIC TO A STANDSTILL. STATE EMPLOYEES USED SNOWMOBILES TO DELIVER SANDWICHES TO STRANDED MOTORISTS, ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPOKESMAN MIKE CLAFFEY SAID.”
  THE MIDWEST’S NASTY WEATHER CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR TRAVELERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. UNITED AIRLINES CANCELED 914 FLIGHTS NATIONWIDE AS OF FRIDAY NIGHT, ACCORDING TO COMPANY SPOKESWOMAN ROBIN URBANSKI.  AT CHICAGO’S O’HARE AIRPORT, AMERICAN AIRLINES CANCELED ALL ITS FLIGHTS BEFORE NOON FRIDAY.
  NEAR PADUCAH, TEXAS, A SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLE CARRYING A HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM SLID ON AN ICY PATCH AND TIPPED OVER, KILLING A 14-YEAR-OLD PLAYER AND INJURING SIX TEAMMATES AND THE COACH.
  ICY ROADS WERE ALSO A FACTOR IN TWO OTHER TRAFFIC DEATHS, ONE IN KANSAS ON WEDNESDAY AND ONE THURSDAY IN OKLAHOMA. IN OKLAHOMA, WHERE THE ICE-SLICKED ROADS WERE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE, SOME TOWING COMPANIES REPORTED UP TO 24-HOUR WAIT TIMES TO REACH STRANDED DRIVERS.
  MAJOR FIRE EVENT:
  THE GEORGE PARKS HIGHWAY, WHICH IS THE MAIN ROAD BETWEEN ANCHORAGE AND FAIRBANKS AND IS THE HEAVILY-TRANSITED ROUTE TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK, HAS BEEN CLOSED TO TRAFFIC OFF AND ON SINCE THE FIRE BEGAN.   THE MEDIA REPORTED THAT PILOT CARS WERE LEADING TRAVELERS THROUGH THE DENSE SMOKE, BUT THAT TRAFFIC, INCLUDING TOUR BUSES, WAS BACKING UP.  SMOKE WAS DRIFTING OVER NENANA AND INTO THE FAIRBANKS AREA. 

## Background – WIST Challenges

- Urban Meteorology
- Aviation Meteorology
- Tropical cyclone R&D
- MPAR Risk Reduction Program
- University Transportation Centers
- Commercial weather vendors
- Automobile manufactures
- State and local DOTs and road maintenance activities
- Social science

**Background – WIST Challenges**

## Symposium Details - Theme

**Symposium Details - Theme**

- 3rd National Surface Transportation
-  Weather Symposium
*Improving commerce and reducing deaths and injuries through innovative, weather-related R&D and applications for the surface transportation system*

## Symposium Details - Approach

**Symposium Details - Approach**

**Surface Transportation R&D Needs**

## Symposium Details - Objectives 

**Symposium Details - Objectives **

- 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium
- _Overarching Objective:_ Provide a forum for the surface (sfc) transportation weather and transportation research and user communities to work together to enhance collaboration and partnerships, ultimately helping to improve sfc transportation weather products/services for those who use, operate, and manage sfc transportation infrastructure
- Enhance understanding of social / economic benefits derived from increased use of improved sfc transportation weather and climate info
- Review, validate, and prioritize sfc transportation weather research and  development needs
- Define and prioritize the products / services needed to support sfc transportation community
- Provide recommendations for weather and sfc transportation communities on way ahead to meet needs using attendee input / feedback
- Provide information on sfc transportation weather and climate activities to enhance decision-making processes

## Symposium Details - Logistics 

- 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium
- Location – Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, Vienna, VA
- Agenda – 25-27 July 2007
- July 25th
- Keynote Session
- Social & Economic Impacts & Benefits
- R&D Priorities
- Leveraging R&D
- July 26th
- Observations
- Modeling & Prediction
- Information Dissemination
- Pathway to Operations
- July 27th
- Closing Session on the Keys to Success – Creating Synergy

## Summary

- Data indicates initial WIST efforts may be having positive impact
- Need to further coordinate WIST efforts to overcome challenges and leverage existing resources
- WG/WIST is developing a WIST R&D and Implementation Plan
- Supported by ICMSSR to provide focus and structure to WIST improvement efforts
- 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium July 25-27, 2007