I will focus my remarks this morning on the institutional issues associated with the development of ITMS and how these concerns are being addressed in Monroe County, New York. Monroe County is located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, about 70 miles east of Buffalo.
Integrate, as defined in the dictionary, is to form, coordinate, or blend into a function or unified whole. The whole focus of this Symposium is to learn how we can bring together all of the groups that will need to be involved in ITMS to enhance the overall transportation system.
One of the major institutional issues in New York relates to the state vehicle and traffic law, which grants the authority for traffic control on roadways to various jurisdictions. In cases where two jurisdictions conflict, such as the intersection of a state highway and a county road, the higher level, or the state in this case, would have control. In Monroe County there are 32 local governments. As a result, conflicts over traffic control may emerge among the state, county, and local communities.
The approach utilized to address these issues in Monroe County was initiated almost 25 years ago. In 1971, the County Executive and the Mayor of the City of Rochester agreed to develop a coordinated strategy for traffic management that would cross jurisdictional boundaries. A formal agreement was established between the city and the county giving the county responsibility for traffic engineering on both the county and the city roadways. The county also assumed funding responsibilities for all of the traffic functions.
Based on this success, the County Executive invited the 20 town governments to participate in the program. I think one of the keys to the approach taken by the county was to invite—not to force—participation. Although many of the 20 townships did not agree to participate initially, primarily over concerns related to maintaining their authority over the local road system, today all are part of the coordinated system. With the exception of signal maintenance which is done upon request, the county provides all of the traffic engineering functions for the 20 townships upon request. This represented the second step toward the development of ITMS in the county.
The third step occurred in the mid-1970s as a part of the TOPICS program. The TOPICS program was used to develop a UTCS traffic signal system to integrate the state, city, and the county traffic signals into one system under the authority of the county. The key to this system was an agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation to reimburse the county for the operation and maintenance of the state traffic signals. This agreement has been a critical element of the success of the system. Although staff within the different agencies and jurisdictions have changed, the agreement has not. Thus, the agreement represents the backbone of the working relationships among the various groups. The agreement also contains specific requirements for maintaining certain levels of operation and maintenance of the system. These requirements have helped maintain the integrity of the system during times of budget retrenchments.
Although some speakers have suggested that formal agreements may not be needed, from our experience I would encourage the use of formal contracts or written agreements. To paraphrase the poet Robert Frost, who wrote that "good fences make good neighbors"—we think that good agreements also make strong ongoing partnerships.
Building on the success of these initial efforts, the next step was to move forward toward an integrated system. This included coordinating the freeway and expressway systems, as well as integrating the system with the emergency services, the police departments, and other agencies.
As other speakers have noted, it is important to build on successful projects. Our first success story started with a major interchange project that is referred to as the Can of Worms. There were concerns that the construction of this project would cause major traffic congestion and other problems. Using a coordinated approach, that included transit agencies, police, emergency services, and other groups, we were able to avoid any major problems with the construction of the interchange.
All of these groups were involved early in the planning process for the interchange. Each phase of the project was discussed and the responsibilities for different activities were assigned. Items addressed included incident management, public information, construction phasing, traffic rerouting, and other issues. This approach worked very well and no major problems were encountered during construction.
The County Executive and other decision makers were very impressed with this process and supported the continued development of an integrated transportation management system. The County Executive took the lead in forming an Expressway Committee within the county to promote an integrated approach. The committee is comprised of representatives from the State Department of Transportation, the County Department of Transportation, the Rochester MPO, City and State Police, the County Sheriff, and local police departments. There are 11 different police departments in the county. These are represented on the Committee through the Public Safety Department. A Town Supervisors Association was also formed to help keep elected officials informed on the status of various projects. Representatives from the Industrial Management Council and the American Automobile Association are also included on the Committee, which meets monthly. This Committee has been active in the development of ITMS in Rochester. The State Department of Transportation is the lead agency in this effort and Howard Needles is the consultant on the project to develop an integrated system.
Some people may ask why we are pursuing ITMS in Rochester. Our average commute time is about 20 minutes and the level of service on most freeways and arterial streets is acceptable. This is a nice situation to be in. We want to maintain this situation, especially given the importance of the transportation system to businesses in the area. Rochester is the home to Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox, and many other companies. Just-in-time delivery and making intermodal connections are very important to these businesses.
With Kodak, the Rochester area is known as the photography capital of the world. As a result, our ITMS is going to be called the Image System. We will be using an incremental process to develop the system. The use of variable message signs and closed-circuit television cameras on the freeway system will be the initial focus of the system. Rochester also gets numerous snow storms and we get about 90 to 100 inches of snow a year. These storms can hit very quickly and can cause havoc on the freeway system. The variable message signs will be used to provide early warnings to motorists and truckers about snow and weather conditions. In addition, consideration is being given to pavement and weather monitoring systems.
We are still in the early planning stages for the system. We plan to continue to work with all the different groups to ensure a coordinated approach. This will include the involvement of the key stake holders and the development of a clear vision and a mission statement. This will help ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of what we are trying to accomplish. We think the system will be critical for maintaining the economic health and vitality of the area, as well as enhancing the mobility of area residents.
TRANSGUIDE in San AntonioIt is a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk about the TRANSGUIDE project in San Antonio. While Pat Irwin and Pat McGowan from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) deserve the majority of credit for the success of the project, neither of these gentlemen were able to attend the Symposium. It is an honor to be asked to fill in for them and provide you a brief overview of the TRANSGUIDE project in San Antonio.
In the spirit of the ITMS Symposium, I will use a multimedia approach with my presentation. I will first show a video which explains the TRANSGUIDE project. The video was prepared by TxDOT's public information consultants. It has been used very effectively in public meetings and presentations to different groups. After the video, I will provide an overview of the current status of the project.
Highlights from the video:
· TRANSGUIDE, which is short for the Transportation Guidance System, brings together a combination of road sensors, video cameras, changeable message signs, other advanced technologies, and people to better manage traffic on the freeways in San Antonio, Texas.
· To motorists, TRANSGUIDE will mean better traffic flow, less delay due to congestion, safer and easier driving, and faster response to accidents.
· The Operations Control Center contains three large video walls that can display maps, current traffic conditions, and changeable message signs, to help operators monitor traffic flow on the freeways and respond immediately to problems.
· The control center also contains individual consoles for 18 operators (with room for additional expansion, should the need arise). The Operations Control Center acts as a clearinghouse. Preprogrammed solutions can be activated in response to incidents and other problems.
· Road sensors, that provide data on traffic flow, provide the basic input to the system. Eight hundred road sensors and 52 closed circuit television cameras have been installed along approximately 27 miles of freeway. These are linked by some 50 miles of fiber optic cables and connected to computers at the Operations Control Center.
· Overhead lane signs and changeable message signs will be used to communicate with motorists. Within two minutes of an accident, the Operations Control Center will be aware of the situation, and the appropriate response will be initiated.
· The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for the design, development, and operation of TRANSGUIDE. Other agencies, including emergency personnel, will be located in the Operations Control Center, however, allowing for immediate response to all types of incidents.
· The initial system covers portions of I-10, I-35, I-37, U.S. 281, and U.S. 90. The system will eventually be expanded to cover some 191 miles of freeways in the San Antonio area.
· TRANSGUIDE will also form the basis for future advanced travel information systems in the San Antonio area.
The important role a project champion can play in helping to advance ITMS has been noted by other speakers. In San Antonio, TxDOT assumed this role. TxDOT took the lead in developing the initial concept for the system and in moving it forward to reality. To accomplish this objective, TxDOT had to address the three T's—turf, threats, and trust—related to institutional issues. To address these concerns, TxDOT undertook a major public information effort, as well as building links to other agencies. VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and the police, fire, and EMS were all involved in the process. TxDOT promoted the benefits of TRANSGUIDE to these different agencies. This approach was well received at the staff level. There were still numerous issues related to funding, implementation, and operation which had to be addressed, however.
The TxDOT San Antonio District committed 30 percent of their annual construction budget to design and develop the ITMS. Although there was no initial commitment of funds from other agencies, the system was designed with the flexibility to meet the needs of other groups.
Once the central control center was under construction, support for the system began to grow. Most of the key agencies in San Antonio have now begun to commit funds to aid in the operations and maintenance of the system. The first phase of the TRANSGUIDE system covers approximately 27 miles of the freeway system and includes the control center, as well as the numerous loop detectors, cameras, lane control signals, and changeable message signs mentioned previously in the video. The cost of the first phase was approximately $32 million. A 60-day acceptance testing period has been initiated, and the system should be fully operational by the end of July. The ultimate system will cover approximately 191 miles of the freeway system in San Antonio.
The real challenge in the future will be to integrate this freeway-based system with the arterial roadway system and other transportation modes. This issue will be examined in an early deployment project which will be initiated this fall.
The North Seattle ATMS Project
David Berg, Washington State Department of Transportation
I would like to give you an overview of the North Seattle Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) project. A paper is available which provides more detail on the project and related activities in the Seattle area. The North Seattle ATMS project is a joint effort involving 14 agencies in the Seattle Area. A major focus of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has been on improving the overall management of the transportation system. The North Seattle ATMS project involves the $1.4 billion reconstruction of the I-90 Freeway. Given limited funding and environmental concerns, this type of project is really a thing of the past.
The North Seattle ATMS project was conceived in the 1980s as a way to share information among the various agencies responsible for different aspects of the transportation system. In the past, the major focus of this type of project has been on the freeway system. The North Seattle ATMS project broadened this focus to a regional basis. This larger scope obviously involved the need for additional funding, and increased the potential for institutional and operational issues.
As I noted, there are 14 agencies involved in this project. These include very large agencies, like WSDOT, and smaller organizations. The number of personnel and their expertise vary greatly among the agencies, as do available financial resources. In addition, each agency has a separate policy board as well as different priorities, objectives, and constituents. Coordinating the sharing of information among these different agencies is a challenging opportunity.
The North Seattle ATMS project has three main objectives. The first objective is to develop and implement a regional monitoring and information sharing system. The second objective is to develop and implement a coordinated approach to operations between the various jurisdictions, and the third objective is to ensure that the system can be used as a test bed for future ITS applications.
A number of regional issues had to be considered in the development of the communications architecture for the project. In developing a framework for the communications architecture it was necessary to look not just at the North Seattle area, but at the whole Seattle metropolitan area. The communications architecture focuses on a geographically distributed system, which allows individual agencies to maintain control over their own systems. At the same time, the system will allow access to shared information and links to other agencies.
The North Seattle ATMS system will initially use remote interface units at the different agencies. The key element of this system will be a communications backbone that can be supported throughout the region. The Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Washington has proposed an approach using the standards and protocols of the Internet. Developing a network on a client/server basis will help ensure that the various agencies retain autonomous use of their own individual systems. This approach also allows for future enhancements. Both public agencies and private enterprises should be able to link into the system with new technologies and new projects. We want to ensure that the system provides for future growth and development opportunities.
The need for a common communications architecture with this type of project is critical. We want to ensure that the system developed for this project is compatible with the approach and the needs for the full metropolitan area. Basing the architecture for the North Seattle ATMS project on the approach needed for the full metropolitan area will make future expansion easy.
There are also a number of institutional issues that have had to be addressed in the North Seattle ATMS project. Since the sharing of information among groups is central to the project, we had to be sensitive to the concerns of smaller agencies over possible loss of control. Although the different agencies were supportive of interjurisdictional cooperation, there was still a concern over the possible loss of control and authority. These are real issues that must be addressed with these type of projects.
ITMS projects have focused on heavily congested metropolitan areas. Questions have been raised concerning the benefits of ITMS for smaller agencies and communities. Explaining the benefits of ITMS to smaller agencies and communities on the fringe of major metropolitan areas will be critical to the successful deployment of these systems.
We have also had to address a number of operational issues. One of the major operational concerns revolves around the development of interjurisdictional coordination plans for traffic signals. Issues that need to be addressed include how the plans are developed, the responsibilities for maintaining and operating the system, and how changes and modifications will be made. Dealing with multiple types of equipment is also a key operational issue. The North Seattle ATMS project will focus on linking existing traffic signal systems rather than requiring a new uniform equipment. At the same time, we plan to incorporate some of the new national standards when they become available.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is the overall project manager for the North Seattle ATMS project. Our prime consultant is Farradyne Systems, Inc., out of Rockville, Maryland. I want to stress, however, that this is not just a WSDOT project. All of the agencies involved are stakeholders in the project. These agencies are the end users of the ATMS system and the project would not be a success without their involvement throughout the process. A major portion of the consultant’s scope of work is to identify, develop, and implement the base user requirements needed by all the agencies. In essence, the agencies are our customers and their involvement is critical to the success of the project.
Another critical success factor is ongoing communications and regular meetings of all involved groups. The regular meetings provide the opportunity to keep all groups actively involved in the project and informed on the status of different elements. So far the user requirements have been developed and the base requirements have been identified. Working papers, draft reports, and other items are reviewed and discussed and we make sure all comments and concerns are addressed. The meetings are also used to give direction to the consultants and to help ensure the project is on schedule.
A second level group — called the Steering Committee — has also been used on the project. The intent of the Steering Committee, which is comprised of senior level staff from the different agencies is to resolve any issues and to make sure that there is consensus among the different groups. It also helps ensure a link to the decision makers within the various agencies.
Another approach we used to help ensure the involvement of all the appropriate groups was a teaming or partnering session. This session involved representatives from all the agencies and the consultants. It provided the opportunity to identify and discuss potential issues and concerns, to initiate the development of the communications architecture, and to discuss the objectives of different groups.
The teaming session also helped ensure the development of a manageable project scope. Reaching agreement on the key project objectives was an important part of the process. Ensuring that all the groups were kept informed and updated on the status of the project and that their comments and concerns were being addressed were also part of the process.
The development of the communications matrix was challenging. This matrix provides names and phone numbers of the key representatives at all the different agencies involved in the project. The teaming charter and the mission statement were signed and agreed to by everyone at the session. The project itself is split into four different phases. These are the development of the system requirements, the system design, software development, and implementation. We are now working on the systems requirements. This phase is identifying existing systems, data sources, and infrastructures that can be used to support the North Seattle ATMS project. New data sources expected to come on-line within the next few months are also being examined for possible incorporation into the project. Developing a priority list of all the base user requirements is a major component of this phase.
The design phase will take the information from the systems requirement phase, refine it, and develop a communications architecture. This phase includes the development of the hardware and software requirements. At both ends of the first two phases, a reality check is being made to compare the budget and the schedule required to implement the base requirements against the negotiated schedule. This comparison is being made to ensure that adequate resources and time are available to implement the system.
The software development phase will then be initiated. This phase includes developing the functional description for the system, as well as the coding and documentation of the system. The final stage is the implementation of the system, which is projected to begin in early 1996. An evaluation of the North Seattle ATMS project will be conducted by the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington. This evaluation will focus on the impact of coordinated control on facility performance and safety, the success of the system software in facilitating integration, institutional issues that influence the development of the system, acceptance of the system by isolated system operators, and examining the use of ITS for data collection.
Implementation of the North Seattle ATMS project is scheduled to start early next year. A two year development schedule is planned. This is an aggressive, but manageable schedule for a project of this type.
As I noted, a number of major activities have been completed. A report detailing the geographical limits of the project has been completed. An inventory of existing signal controllers, surveillance data bases, and other equipment and communication infrastructure in the project area is almost complete. A draft report on the proposed system architecture has been developed. This report addresses the data collection, processing, storage, and retrieval mechanisms of the system. A report is also expected by mid-June on the proposed control strategies. The types of strategies will include time-of-day, traffic responsive, and integrated arterial-freeway control.
In conclusions, I would like to highlight four major points about the North Seattle ATMS project. First, like other ATMS projects, this effort is very challenging both from a technical and an institutional perspective. Second, the Seattle experience confirms the need to move slowly and logically in the development of ATMS. Making sure the project objectives are clearly articulated, are realistic, and are reexamined periodically is critical. Third, it is important to have regional vision, especially in considering the communications architecture. Finally, the most important point is to establish a team concept. Ensuring that all groups are involved and support the concept is critical to the success of an ATMS project.