Towards Zero Copies Brian Alconcel, P.E. Chief, Office of Highway System Information & Performance CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - CALTRANS

Caltrans Mission Provide a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability.

Caltrans Goal (Safety) Provide a safe transportation system for workers and users and promote health through active transportation and reduced pollution in communities.

Caltrans Objective (Safety) Adopt a “Towards Zero Deaths” practice to eliminate worker fatalities and reduce user fatalities and injuries.

Improve the timely delivery of Highway Safety Data  The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in partnership with the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS)  Reduce the Collision Data Backlog  Move toward electronic submittal of traffic collision reports

Collisions Hard copies of TCR (Traffic Collision Report) Identify and code location using Dist-Co-Rte-PM Input data into their database SWITRS (Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System) Create output file for Caltrans Load CHP output file into Caltrans Database Overview of Paper Process

“Towards Zero Copies”  California’s effort to collect, analyze, and store highway safety information electronically  1. Improve paper process  2. Develop an electronic collection and submittal process of TCRs  3. Develop an Information Technology (IT) solution to analyze, verify, and store collision data

Agreements  Working with California Highway Patrol for an improved paper submittal process

1. Paper Process Improvements  Caltrans scanned submittal of TCRs to district area staff using a Document Retrieval System (DRS) database.  Reduction from dual copies of TCRs to single copies of TCRs transferred between CHP and Caltrans.  Streamline workflows in both departments, increase storage capacity at both facilities, and enhance California’s environmental stewardship.

Staffing strategies to manage the current collision data backlog CHP  OTS grant for staff resources approved last year  Hired and trained Limited Term Staff with Overtime  Current Backlog of 300,000+ TCRs  Receive 28,000+ TCRs monthly from area offices and locals  Approximately 35 percent are State Highway related  Efforts place pressure on Caltrans to catch up  Goal to eliminate backlog by October 2015 Caltrans  OTS grant for staff resources approved this year  Hired and trained Student Assistants (14)  Backlog of 10,000 TCRs (2012) / 40,000 TCRs (2013) to code  Receive 15,000+ TCRs monthly from CHP  15,000 TCRs coded per month (up from 10,000 per month)  Projected 21,000 TCRs coded per month  Goal to eliminate backlog by October 2015

Three major issues: 1. Incomplete reports 2. Illegible fields 3. Incorrect information

Solutions: 1. Required fields 2. Typed or Selected 3. Validations

2. Electronic Collection and Submittal Process  CHP identified major contributors to traffic data on the State Highway System.  CHP has initiated a pilot project in Woodland, CA to test the electronic collection and submittal process  Front end application that allows officers to input the TCR form data. Web service to receive traffic collision reports from CHP and allied agencies. Translation layer to move the data to SWITRS database.

Standard Form  All law enforcement to use one version  Ensure consistency of data collected  Helps with electronic solution  May require legislation  Potential SHSP Action

3. Electronic Solution to Analyze, Verify, and Store Collision Data  CHP and Caltrans will develop business requirements to automate existing processes and reduce the need for manual quality control of the data.  Higher level of confidence in the data input by officers.  Software should also be user friendly to decrease the amount of time an officer needs to fill out the form.

Contact Information Brian Alconcel, Chief Office of Highway System Information and Performance Division of Research, Innovation, & Systems Information California Department of Transportation - Caltrans (916)