Information Flow: Key to Traffic Engineering John Corbin, State Traffic Engineer Wisconsin Department of Transportation Transportation Information Revolution The World at Your Doorstep TRB Session 236 Monday, January 22, :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/technologies gathered through literature searches, conferences, TRB sessions and committee meetings Best practices discovered through surveys, scans, peer exchanges, informal networks Paradigm changes reactively 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 & priorities B.Development project input C.Policy direction & feedback D.Traffic operations & safety problems E.Travel decision needs A.Incremental system plans B.Development project information C.Policy insight & improvement D.Operational adjustments E.Traveler warning & information Research & Information Services Emerging framework: A customer service context

Emerging framework: Multi-directional, continuous, customer-oriented From customers to DOT whats working, whats broken, whats 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 ($ K)

#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 ($ K)

Future Trends, Converging Systems Knowledge Management Professional Development & Organizational Capacity Research & Information Services Knowledge Development & Access Customer Relations 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 Engineer Wisconsin Department of Transportation WisDOT Online Travel Center WisDOT Transportation Synthesis Reports