1. Incident Response, Parking, and Maintenance Weather Systems

2. Incidents Could be anything outhouses, Christmas trees in the road or crashes

3. Incidents in Washington

4. Incident Management / Emergency Response 40-60 percent of delay is related to non- recurring congestion – incidents Solution: –Identify and remove incidents –Speed removal by sending the correct equipment as quickly as possible

5. Important Safety Aspects Protect first responders –Provide a safe working area so they can focus on medical aid and recovery Provide safety traffic flow around incident scene Prevent secondary collisions in queue

6. What Functionality Makes Incident Management Work? 1.Incident detection 2.Incident verification 3.Incident response 4.Management 5.Motorist information

7. 1. Incident Detection Now, primarily by cellular phone –Overwhelming 911 call centers –E-911 (location information) Also –Traffic surveillance systems –CB radio –Motorist call boxes

8. Motorist Call Boxes Used to be expensive, now easy to install because of cell service

9. 2. Incident Verification Notification of an incident is not detection Does it really exist? Where is it? What is the problem?

10. 2. Incident Verification Usually requires visual confirmation –CCTV –Personal visit Service patrol Police Airplane Maintenance staff

11. WSDOT Incident Response Program WSDOT: State operated service patrols. Operates across state WSP Cadets: WSP service patrols which operate in Puget Sound Region Tow Service Patrols: Contracted private tow company service patrols in Puget Sound region Media Assistance Van: Contracted private media patrol in the Olympic Region

12. 2. Incident Verification Verification allows call out of response The faster the proper response, the faster clearance takes place

13. 3. Incident Response Proper response requires an understanding of the incident –Basic assistance (gas / a push) –Tow truck –Large tow truck –Fire truck –EMT –Hazardous material spill recovery –Fatal accident investigation team (Police use technology to record and clear scene, e.g. photogrammerty)

14. One Level of Response

15. Another Level of Response

16. 4. Management Communications are key to management –Between respondents –Call for additional assistance –Coordination of efforts Turf wars used to be a big issues Communications can be a problem –ITS provides many new cost effective communication options

17. 5. Motorist Information Motorist information is a big part of management –Routing information Manage facility demand Provide better travel alternatives to customers Reduce frustration / poor driving behavior –Manage traveler expectations

18. 5. Motorist Information Information needs to be delivered to customers –Radio –VMS / CMS –New electronic devices –Other

19. Parking Management

20. Why Parking Management Maximize space utilization (if demand is not evenly distributed) Reduce VMT caused by searching for a space One estimate is up to 30% of urban traffic is “search traffic”

21. Parking Management Functions Requires –Monitoring of space availability –Communication with drivers –A funding source

22. Parking Management Methods for monitoring space availability –Counting in/out movements –Checking individual space availability Communication with motorists (guidance systems) –VMS / CMS (location?) Reservation Systems –Advanced or en-route

23. Parking Management Who pays for the system? –What’s the incentive to do this? Who participates in the system? Where are the benefits? –The public? –The private parking companies?

24. Parking Technologies Automated parking systems –Robopark Electronic or wireless reservation/payment –Similar to electronic tolls –Use mobile phone or transponders Advanced parking meters –Provide real time information if space is occupied –Rates go up for additional time –Communicate information about violations

25. Smart Parking at Baltimore Airport Signs indicate number of free spaces

26. Ultrasound sensor checks each space for a vehicle. Green/Red light above space indicates if space available.

27. Green arrows direct drivers to floors with open spaces

28. Signs point to open spaces

29. Open Stall Changeable signs indicate spaces in rows

30. Robopark Space saving modular parking systems Driver parks and pushes button Car is automatically moved to a space Use access card or code to retrieve car

31. Underground Parking Silo in Italy

32. Seattle Center Parking System installed at three parking lots and garages Loops at entrance/exit tally cars and determine occupancy Linked to VMS signs on streets in area and Web

33. Entry - Exit Sensors Source : Caltrans

34. City of Seattle Solar powered with a wireless connection Each station costs $6,000 Track revenue & usage

35. In Vehicle Parking Assist

36. Maintenance Weather Management

37. Real time (predictive) knowledge of weather conditions Real time knowledge of the position and status of assets 22% of vehicle crashes in U.S. occur under adverse road weather conditions

38. Snow Control / Removal Less expensive to prevent snow/ice accumulation than to remove it Place anti-icing chemicals prior to ice formation –Only saves money if it actually snows / ices over

39. Snow Prediction Requires extensive weather monitoring system Must track micro-climates Need forecasting capabilities Can save money

40. Smart Snowplow Technologies Finding and staying on roads –GPS with accurate road database, magnetic paint stripes, embedded magnetic markers Detect hidden objects –Collision warning radar Rear end collisions –Strobes Driver fatigue –Devices designed with driver comfort in mind Friction measurement (for performance info)

41. Smart Snowplows

42. Smart Snowplow

43. Washington Roadway Weather Forecasting RWIS (Remote Weather Information Systems) Integrated stations from a number of agencies –Airport –Universities –Cities –Military Bases –On Ferries 700 stations across state

45. Forecasting Grids Resolutions 36 Kilometer 12 Kilometer 4 Kilometer (usable for roads)

46. Route and Road Surface Conditions

47. ARROWS Automated Real Time Weather Information Systems Used by WSDOT (not public) to manage weather related maintenance Forecasts snow, road icing, etc

50. Maintenance Decision Support

51. Snow Avalanches In mountainous area, can be a major maintenance issue Many DOTs have snow control staffs Safety of traveling public and road crews a concern

52. WSDOT and Avalanche Control Routine avalanche control on Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes Also when clearing other state roads in Spring Snoqualmie Pass is the only Interstate through the Cascades – a two hour closure costs the state's economy over $1 million

53. Avalanche Control Expensive and sometimes risky

57. Avalanche Control Automated warning systems –Wyoming system triggers lights on signs, sirens and alarms in maintenance vehicle Remote control systems –Propane cannons (GASEX) Remote control equipment

58. Remote Control Loader in Alaska

59. UAV’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) UAVs are feasible because of GPS and miniaturized electronics Many manufacturers out there – costs are dropping Mostly applications are military Range in size from handhelds to “real” planes

60. Unmanned Aircraft and Transportation Many potential transportation uses: –Traffic Surveillance and Counting –Crash Scene Photography –Security Monitoring –Surveying and Construction Management Transportation applications often relate to micro and mini-UAVs (hand or truck launch)

61. Issues for Transportation Cost of the aircraft Aircraft reliability Safety – collisions and crashes Training of pilots Legal and privacy concerns But the biggest issue is regulatory

62. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Rules No FAA regulatory standard for UAV use “See and Avoid” a big problem So each UAV operation now requires a Certificate of Authorization (COA) –Requires keeping UAV in sight or use of spotters or a chase plane FAA under considerable pressure to develop a UAV policy

63. Dull, Dirty, or Dangerous UAV are best for Dull, Dirty, or Dangerous jobs They are not an inexpensive alternative for many manned flights Pilots are cheap and want hours. A beginning airline pilot makes $27 an hour and often flies only 80 hours a month

64. WSDOT’s UAV Project Purpose Explore the utility of UAVs to WSDOT Start by seeing if UAVs can enhance avalanche control programs and search and rescue operations Evaluate the larger institutional issues behind the use of UAVs by WSDOT

65. 65 Institutional Study Purpose Will UAVs be allowed to fly routinely by the FAA? Test the process to obtain an FAA certificate to fly a UAV Do UAVs have an institutional role for Departments of Transportation?

66. 66 Avalanche Control Study Purpose Explore if a UAV can: –fly autonomously to an area of concern –check artillery target zones for skiers –check out snow conditions –drop charges to trigger avalanches Assist in search and rescue

67. Tested the BAT Small autonomous aircraft –6 foot wing span –35 pounds with a 5 pound payload –5 hour endurance Costs around $50,000 Video and still Cameras

71. Yamaha Vertical take-off and landing Used in Asia for crop spraying 50 pound payload Costs around $200,000

74. Instiu Local company Scan Eagle is 40 pound aircraft with many hours of military operation Runway-independent using a skyhook 13 pound payload Costs around $100,000

75. 75 Findings UAVs affordable enough to be used by transportation agencies Can complete a range of traffic surveillance and monitoring tasks Considerable potential for avalanche control Institutional limitations to flying a UAV