# Presentation: 069635

## Clarus Initiative(Nationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing and Forecasting System)

- _ITS JPO Lead_: James Pol
- _Technical Lead_: Paul Pisano, Office of Transportation Operations

## Challenge

- Weather products today generally are insufficient for transportation operations
- Too generalized
- DOTs investment in road observations
- Surface weather forecasting benefits from more data from more sources
- Ground observations are plentiful, but not managed to form coherent picture
- Managing all available ground data yields new products

## Opportunity

- The activities under this initiative will:
- Establish a model deployment of a regional road weather observational data management and forecasting system
- Establish a partnership to establish a nationwide road weather observation network

## Goal

- To reduce the impact of adverse weather for all road and transit users and operators

## Milestone/End Product

- Enhanced forecasting for surface transportation
- Stable, reliable access to road weather information and other weather sources
- Broadened participation for NOAA/NWS in surface transportation weather
- A regional model deployment of the observation data-sharing network and a suite of forecasting tools enabled through the Clarus system design

## Roadmap

## Program Plan/Approach

- The Initiative consists of four phases
- _Phase 1_: Stakeholder Coordination
- _Phase 2_: System Design
- _Phase 3_: Multi-State Regional Demonstration
- _Phase 4_: Final Design, Model Deployment
- Duration of Initiative
- FY04-FY09

## Phase 1: Stakeholder Coordination

- Goal:  Promote multilateral stakeholder ownership, consensus in design & build partnerships.
- Actions:
- Establish partnership with NOAA
- Create Initiative Coordinating Committee
- Directly engage stakeholders at key decision points and throughout the initiative
- Source of interdisciplinary expertise for design reviews and guidance
- Transportation; Weather; Private Sector

## Phase 2: System Design

- Goal: Establish data management for road weather observations and forecasts that serve the needs of disparate user communities.
- Actions:
- Create concept of operations
- Identify possible constraints
- Integrate state road weather data with NOAA data
- Create engineering design documentation

## Phase 3: Multi-State Regional Demonstration

- Goal: Achieve regional multi-state collection with quality control and enhanced forecasting capabilities.
- Actions:
- Selection criteria & location selection
- Leverage VII proof of concept test to fully exploit VII capabilities to deliver real-time data
- Develop regional system design
- Implement multi-state regional demonstration
- Evaluate demonstration

## Phase 4: Final Design, Model Deployment

- Goal: Establish package of products that are readily implemented by stakeholders and that are solely supported by the stakeholders.
- Actions:
- Design & implement a more robust Internet data portal with hooks for new technologies such as CCTV & VII
- Implement enhanced demonstration & evaluation
- Create revised regional and nationwide Clarus system design
- Document all lessons learned and design guidance

## Summary

- New products and services for shared goals of the transportation and weather communities
- Addresses growing demands for specific road weather products to offset safety impacts and impeded mobility