MPO/University PartnershipOpportunitiesThe RPCGB/UAB Regional Data CenterAndrew Sullivan, PEUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamNovember 15, 2012

RPC-GB Data NeedsRPCGB required transportation data for their CongestionManagement Process (CMP) and Performance BasedPlanning efforts, but faced common problems:

• Declining data collection efforts by local governments• Old or limited data sets• High data collection costs• Lack of comprehensive data archive

The RPC/UAB PartnershipWe began discussions for a partnership to:

1. Collect and manage transportation data2. Analyze data and prepare annual summaries3. Make data accessible to the public

UAB would be able to use all data for research purposes

Center Funding• Funded through ALDOT STP-BH funds (80-20)

• UAB covers the 20% local match through in-kindcontributions

• All program costs are routed through UAB (software,equipment, subcontractors)

Traffic Count Data• UAB collects count data for 300 locations per year• Also incorporates ALDOT and County data• Data are stored on website (open to public)

Travel Time DataProbe Vehicles

Fleet GPS Data (INRIX)- Improved data quality- Improved coverage

AM Peak Congestion

AM Peak Travel Times(to downtown)

Lane-Miles of CongestedFacilities

Duration of Congestion (PM)

Speed Profiles (US 280 at Rocky Ridge)0

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University ResearchMeasuring Non-Recurrent Congestion

University ResearchMeasuring Non-Recurrent Congestion

Ongoing Research• Regional travel time reliability

• Better methods for ‘cleaning’ GPS data

• Automating performance measures

• Assessing impacts of roadway or operational

improvements

• Making travel time and congestion data available to

public agencies

Benefits of PartnershipFor RPCGB• Improved data quantity and quality• Management tasks handled by UAB• University pays local match on STP funds• Opportunities to test new procedures

For UAB• Hands-on research opportunities for students• Funding for graduate students• Opportunities to learn new software/technologies• Data for research use

Future Plans• Incorporate land use data• O/D surveys• Signal timing inventories• Transit data• Pedestrian and bike data• Collecting data from other sources (impact studies, signal

timing projects, transit)