1. Regional Concept for Transportation Operations: An action plan to address transportation operations in Southeast Michigan Talking Technology & Transportation (T3) Webinar July 25, 2007 Tom Bruff, Coordinator/Senior Engineer Southeast Michigan Council of Governments

2. What is RCTO? Provides a common vision Provides a common vision Provides a business plan approach Provides a business plan approach –Motivation (Why?) –Operations objective (What?) –An approach (How?) –Resource arrangements, relationships, and procedures

4. St. Clair Macomb Oakland Livingston Wayne Washtenaw Monroe * City of Detroit 4.9 million people

5. 233 local units of government 7 county road agencies 2 MDOT regions 227 law enforcement agencies

6. Infrastructure Realities Essential for quality of life and business Essential for quality of life and business More efficient More efficient Look at all pieces holistically Look at all pieces holistically Not enough investment Not enough investment

7. What do we operate?

8. 22,800 miles of public road 4,884 miles of truck routes 140 million vehicle miles traveled daily 1,000 miles currently congested Over 5,400 traffic signals Over 3,500 bridges Over 138,000 crashes

9. Other Investments Non-motorized Non-motorized Transit Transit Drinking water Drinking water Sewers Sewers Parks Parks Schools Schools

10. Sources of Congestion: National Summary Traffic Congestion and Reliability: Linking Solutions to Problems, FHWA (July 2004)

11. Transportation Systems Management and Operations Sharing resources Preserving capacity Improving security, safety, reliability Collaborating, coordinating on regional operations

12. TSM&O Activities  Congestion management  Traffic incident management  Traveler information  Electronic payment services (e.g., transit, parking, tolls)  Emergency response and homeland security  International Border Crossings  Traffic signal coordination  Road weather management  Freight management  Work zone traffic management  Freeway/arterial management  Communications network √ √ √ √ √ √ √

13. Building Upon Past Successes Southeast Michigan Snow & Ice Management MDOT Freeway Courtesy Patrol Michigan ITS Center

14. Purpose of an RCTO Sets direction, purpose Sets direction, purpose Helps bridge differing perspectives, priorities, cultures Helps bridge differing perspectives, priorities, cultures Clarifies roles, responsibilities, resources Clarifies roles, responsibilities, resources Enhances credibility of operations needs Enhances credibility of operations needs Facilitates coordination Facilitates coordination

15. Elements of an RCTO Regional operations vision Regional operations vision Operations objectives Operations objectives Physical improvements (approach) Physical improvements (approach) Relationships and procedures Relationships and procedures Resource arrangements Resource arrangements

16. Southeast Michigan RCTO Vision “Southeast Michigan will have reliable and managed transportation operations across jurisdictional, geographic and modal boundaries for both routine traffic operations and traffic incident management that saves lives, time, and money for its travelers.”

17. Proposed Operations Network Arterial (Operations) Traffic Management Communications (Urban Area Security Initiative, PSAPs) Maintenance Border Operations Transit Operations Freeway Operations Traffic Incident Management Planning Regional Operations Steering Committee Courtesy Patrol Abandoned Vehicles Special Events Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Traffic Signal Coordination SEMSIM

18. How Do We Achieve This? Identify, communicate expectationsIdentify, communicate expectations Unprecedented levels of coordinationUnprecedented levels of coordination Promote regional partnerships/cooperation Promote regional partnerships/cooperation Achieving the vision through commitment Achieving the vision through commitment

19. Top Stakeholder Suggestions Identify arterial streets as priority corridors Identify arterial streets as priority corridors Retime traffic signals regularly Retime traffic signals regularly Disseminate operations information Disseminate operations information Clearing incidents quickly and safely Clearing incidents quickly and safely

20. Criteria for Identifying Priority Corridors Initial recommendations provided during stakeholder interviews Initial recommendations provided during stakeholder interviews Other possible criteria: Other possible criteria: –Borders multiple communities –Evacuation routes –Alternatives (detours) to the freeway system –Functional classification/traffic volumes

21. National Traffic Signal Report Card by NTOC Traffic signals are not operating as efficiently as they could be; Traffic signals are not operating as efficiently as they could be; Poor signal progression leads to unnecessary delays; Poor signal progression leads to unnecessary delays; Frequent stops and starts also negatively impact the air we breath; and Frequent stops and starts also negatively impact the air we breath; and More fuel is consumed. More fuel is consumed.

22. Clearing Incidents Quickly and Safety: Quick Clearance Laws Needed Driver Removal Law Driver Removal Law Authority Removal Law Authority Removal Law Hold Harmless Law Hold Harmless Law

23. Disseminating Operations Information MDOT MITS Center Control Room VideoMonitor Website

24. Balancing Team Members’ Goals Transportation agencies limited by mode and jurisdiction Transportation agencies limited by mode and jurisdiction Enforcement agencies concerned with lowering crime statisticsEnforcement agencies concerned with lowering crime statistics Public safety agencies concerned with crash scene managementPublic safety agencies concerned with crash scene management

25. Flexibility is Key! Many organizational structures Many organizational structures Many budgeting approaches Many budgeting approaches Many operational procedures Many operational procedures Many ways of measuring performance Many ways of measuring performance

26. For More Information SEMCOG’s Web site www.semcog.org/ TranPlan/Operations/index.htm SEMCOG’s Web site www.semcog.org/ TranPlan/Operations/index.htm Contact SEMCOG at 313-961-4266 Contact SEMCOG at 313-961-4266 –Ms. Wei Chen, Transportation Engineer, wchen@semcog.org –Mr. Tom Bruff, Transportation Coordinator, bruff@semcog.org