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Information Flow:Key to Traffic Engineering
John Corbin, State Traffic EngineerWisconsin Department of Transportation
Transportation Information Revolution The World at Your Doorstep
TRB Session 236Monday, January 22, 2007
8:30 AM – 9:45 AM
Overview
Rapid information flow critical both for DOT managers and highway users – comparing conventional & emerging frameworks
Four examples of traffic operations solutions resulting from timely access to information
Future trend: Interconnectedness of information for common customers
Conventional framework:practitioner to practitioner
New research/technologiesgathered through literature searches, conferences,
TRB sessions and committee meetings Best practices
discovered through surveys, scans, peer exchanges, informal networks
Paradigm changesreactively realized when new approaches reach
critical mass across a state, region or beyond
State DOT Functions•System Development•System Operations•Regulatory Functions
Customers•Travelers•Residents•Electeds•Fee Payers
A. System planning needs & prioritiesB. Development project inputC. Policy direction & feedbackD. Traffic operations & safety problemsE. Travel decision needs
A. Incremental system plansB. Development project informationC. Policy insight & improvementD. Operational adjustmentsE. Traveler warning & information
Research &Information
Services
Emerging framework: A customer service context
Emerging framework: Multi-directional, continuous, customer-oriented From customers to DOT
what’s working, what’s broken, what’s needed From DOT to customers
traveler information, program involvement Research & synthesis continuously integrated Customer relationships need to be managed
system development & operations share customers Research & “new” information is open, instant
accountability to sophisticated customers
Solving problems with information: traffic operations
Context: How did the issue emerge?
Need: What problem was embedded in the issue?
Outcome: How was the problem resolved?
Lesson: What was learned about information services?
#1 – Median crossover crashes Context:
High-visibility fatals
Political reaction Need:
System-wide methodology Outcome:
TOPS Lab statewide study
Criteria for “hotspot” ID
Cable guard mitigation strategy Lesson:
Value of responsive university service partnership beyond research
#2 – Traffic Ops business plan Context:
Multiple reorganizations
Project development dominance Need:
Traffic operations business case Outcome:
Other state org models
Traffic ops business plan
Traffic into corridor planning Lesson:
Need to transcend technical & engineering topics & networks
#3 – Traffic operations center
Context:Statewide Traffic Ops Center
County-contracted maintenance Need:
Consistent WISDOT highway
incident notification Outcome:
MODOT framework for incident classification
****(Tuesday evening presentation!!)**** Lesson:
Money saved by not reinventing ($200-300K)
#4 – Ramp metering practices Context:
Longstanding ramp metering
Red times based on local traffic Need:
Consideration of wide area
algorithms Outcome:
New ramp metering peer network
Computer modeling inconclusive
Marginal benefits under-quantified Lesson:
Money saved by waiting ($100-200K)
Future Trends, Converging Systems
KnowledgeManagement“Professional Development& Organizational Capacity”
Research &Information
Services“Knowledge
Development& Access”
CustomerRelations
Management“Customer Service”
Summary
Research & information services have become integral to continuous state DOT customer relations
Integrated information services can save money – e.g. traffic operations
Transportation customer relationship management systems need to evolve rapidly & synergistically
Information Flow:Key to Traffic Engineering
John Corbin, State Traffic EngineerWisconsin Department of Transportation
WisDOT Online Travel Centerwww.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/travel-center.htmWisDOT Transportation Synthesis Reports
www.dot.wisconsin.gov/library/research/reports/tsr.htm
