VIRTUAL FREIGHT NETWORK (VFN):USING OPERATIONS TO MOVE FREIGHT IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Melissa Ackert, E.I.Florida Department of Transportation

Anita Vandervalk, P.E.Cambridge Systematics

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SOUTH FLORIDA FREIGHT AND GOODS EXISTING CONDITIONS• South Florida is home to several of Florida’s largest international gateways

– Port Everglades– Port Miami– Miami International Airport

• Significant growth in freight volumes are anticipated within an already congested urban area

20032004200520062007

Source: South Florida Regional Freight Plan.

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SOUTH FLORIDA KEY REGIONAL INITIATIVES /PROJECTS TO IMPACT F&G MOVEMENT• Significant infrastructure investments are underway

– Port Everglades and Port Miami expansions underway– FEC Railway to serve on-port ICTFs and expand logistics capabilities– Miami International Airport expanding and improving landside

connections– Major freeway expansions and operational enhancements under

construction (e.g., SR826/SR836 interchange; I-595; I-95)

Port Everglades (PEV) Master Plan includes projects to deepen and widen the port channels

Source: Port Everglades 2009 Master Plan/Vision Plan Updatehttp://www.broward.org/Port/MasterPlan/Documents/VisionPlan09312010.pdf

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FREIGHT AND GOODS GROWTH, EXAMPLE

Source: Port Everglades 2009 Master Plan/Vision Plan Updatehttp://www.broward.org/Port/MasterPlan/Documents/VisionPlan09312010.pdf

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OVERVIEW OF THE VIRTUAL FREIGHT NETWORK (VFN)

• VFN is a regional freight-focused dynamic mobility application being developed by public- and private-sector freight stakeholders

• VFN enhances data sharing among the region’s commercial vehicle operators, freight facilities, shippers/receivers, and existing public-sector ITS infrastructure to improve freight mobility and system performance

• VFN is being considered for deployment on routes serving as key corridors and connectors providing access to/from major intermodal facilities

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KEY OBJECTIVES OF VFN

• Improve travel time reliability• Reduce delay for commercial vehicles moving to/from the

region’s key freight facilities• Reduce number of empty/unproductive movements• Enhance real-time monitoring of system performance and

improve effectiveness of mobility applications• Improve safety and regulatory compliance of commercial

vehicles operating in the region• Improve environmental stewardship

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TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES

• Dynamic Routing• Commercial Vehicle Traffic Probes• Load-Matching Application• Synchronized Signal Timing • Virtual Compliance Stations

PEV example.

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TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES DYNAMIC ROUTING

• Integrate data from public- (e.g., incidents, work zone, weather) and private-sector sources (e.g., commercial vehicle traffic probes)

• Make data available to private-sector stakeholders in various formats

• Provide data in a standardized electronic format that can be integrated directly into current routing and dispatch software

• Provide automatic data feeds to motor carrier systems

• Post travel times on variable message signs at the exit of intermodal facilities

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TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIESCOMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAFFIC PROBES

• Commercial vehicles will serve as traffic probes

• Vehicle location and average speed data will be collected via private- and/or public-sector communication technology

• Data will be integrated into the region’s traffic management centers

• Vehicle-specific identifiers will not be stored as part of the probe data collection effort

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TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIESLOAD-MATCHING APPLICATION

• Limit number of empty/unproductive truck moves in the region by developing and maintaining a web-based load matching application

• Provide a forum for shippers and receivers to post available loads and an opportunity for commercial vehicles to find a load to haul on their trip back to/from an intermodal facility

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TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIESSYNCHRONIZED SIGNAL TIMING

• Synchronize timing of traffic signals on key arterials around intermodal facilities

• Give priority to traffic queues with large numbers of commercial vehicles

• Miami Dade County is in the process of completing installation of an Automated Traffic Signal Synchronization System across the County

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TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES VIRTUAL COMPLIANCE STATIONS

• Deploy virtual compliance stations at key locations around the region to support:

– Real-time screening of commercial vehicles for compliance with Federal and state credential, safety, and/or size and weight regulations

• Possible deployment sites could include:

– Eller Drive leading to the entrance/exit of the container operation at Port Everglades

– Port Boulevard leading to the entrance/exist to the Port or Miami

– Entrance/exit to FEC Hialeah Rail Yard

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REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PROPOSED FUNCTIONALITY

Proposed VFN Elements:1. C-TIP functionality to

maximize movements among key freight hubs

2. Real-time traveler information to support real-time re-routing of commercial vehicles

3. Use of commercial vehicles as traffic probes to improve accuracy of traveler information

4. Virtual weigh stations will help improve safety and enforcement activities

Port of Miami

Port Everglades

FEC Intermodal Terminal

Miami International Airport

Operational characteristics:1. Drayage moves between Port

of Miami, Port Everglades and FEC intermodal terminal

2. Access to/from Miami International Airport

3. Access to/from warehouse/distribution facilities from/to region’s freight facilities

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IMPLEMENTING THE VFN

• VFN concept developed in Spring 2010

• South Florida stakeholders presented VFN to USDOT at an Intermodal Freight Technology Working Group meeting hosted by Port of Miami in Summer 2010

• DMA application submitted to USDOT’s “Call for Ideas” in Fall 2010

• USDOT created Freight Advanced Traveler Information System (FRATIS) program

• FRATIS ConOps and Functional Requirements developed in Spring 2012

• Cambridge Systematics selected for prototype testing in South Florida in Fall 2012

WHAT IS USDOT’S FREIGHT ADVANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEM (FRATIS) PROGRAM?

• Part of the USDOT-RITA ITS “Connected Vehicle” Program

– “Dynamic Mobility Applications” sub-program

• Two primary elements

– Freight Dynamic Traveler Information and Planning

– Drayage Optimization

• Current program status

– Concept of Operations Study completed (June 2012)

• National Needs Assessment, ConOps, System Requirements, Test Readiness Assessment

– Development & Limited Testing Phase – Begins 09-2012

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THREE FRATIS DEPLOYMENTS ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT

•  South Florida– Virtual Freight Network (VFN) concept designed to provide the region’s

freight community with ITS-based solutions to mobility constraints

• Los Angeles– Gateway Cities Technology Plan for Goods Movement provided a blueprint

for an end-to-end information support system to improve the efficiency of goods movement in Southern California

• Dallas– Leveraging the Basic Safety Message from the Connected Vehicle program

and the FHWA Integrated Corridor Management program

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WHAT IS A FRATIS?BACKGROUND

• Available resources have varying coverage and do not always provide freight-specific information

• Technology is not used consistently by the trucking industry

• Freight routing, scheduling, and dispatch decisions are sometimes made in an ad-hoc fashion

• Effectiveness of systems is limited by data availability and data accuracy

• Lack of real-time data contributes to operational inefficiencies

• Freight has unique operational characteristics that require different data and methods/timeframes of information delivery

• U.S. DOT is driving new research to improve freight efficiency and environmental performance

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FRATIS?USER NEEDS SURVEY RESULTS

Note: USDOT FRATIS National Drayage Survey Results

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SOUTH FLORIDA FRATIS DEVELOPMENT AND TEST PROGRAM CONCEPT

FDOTSunGuideTMCMiami-Dade MPOBroward MPO

Port EvergladesPort Miami

FEC RailwayFCBF

Data Integration

Regional Public-Private Partnership

Third Party Truck-Specific Movement Data

• Real-Time Speed Data from Fleet Management Systems GPS Data

• Cell Phone and/ or Bluetooth Movement/ Speed Data

• Truck Parking Availability

Intermodal Terminals Data• Queue Length (Including Video)• Container Availability Status

Regional ITS DataSources

Types• Real-Time Freeway Speeds and

Volumes• Real-Time Key Arterial Speeds

and Volumes• Incident Information• Road Closure Information• Route Restrictions/ Bridge Heights

• SunGuideRegional TMC

• Florida 511• FDOT• Cities

• Port Miami• Port Everglades• Enforcement

Agencies• Service Patrols

FRATIS Basic Applications

• Dynamic Travel Planning and Performance

• Intermodal Drayage Operations Optimization– Based on Open Source

Data and Services

API’s and/ or Web ServicesUSDOT Open Source Web Portal

FRATIS IT Resources• ConOps, System Requirements,

Test Readiness Report• USDOT Research Data Exchange• SwRI Software Development Lab

and Testing Facilities

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FRATIS IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

• South Florida freight community is partnering with US DOT to develop and test a prototype FRATIS

– Trucking companies, railroads, port authorities, MPOs, FDOT districts, industry associations, and more

• Program focus will be on:

– Dynamic traveler information

– Drayage optimization

– Emergency management response/recovery

• Kick-off meetings scheduled for early November

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CONTACTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Melissa Ackert, E.I.VFN Concept LeadFDOT District 4Traffic OperationsMelissa.Ackert@dot.state.fl.us(954)777- 4156

Randy ButlerFRATIS Project ManagerUSDOT/FHWAOffice of Freight ManagementRandy.Butler@dot.gov (202) 366 - 9215 

For more information on USDOT’s program, please visit the Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s (RITA) Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office website

http://www.its.dot.gov/

QUESTIONS?