Portal to Transfer Knowledge for
Traffic Management Systems and Centers
by: John Bassett, Chair, Traffic Management Center (TMC) Pooled Fund Study, New York DOT
&
Alex Wassman, Co-chair, TMC Pooled Fund Study, Missouri DOT
|
|
|
The TMC Pooled Fund Study has been working with the staff at the National Operations Center of Excellence to develop the Traffic Management Systems and Centers Portal on their website: https://transportationops.org/traffic-management-systems-and-centers.
The purpose of the portal is to facilitate the exchange of information, experience, and resources available to promote opportunities to enhance the management and operation of Traffic Management Systems (TMSs) and Centers . The portal provides access to policies, procedures, operational strategies, traffic control plans, and other resources to assist agencies how they may utilize these systems and centers to improve the safety and mobility of travelers.
|
|
|
The portal also includes resources to assist agencies in the planning, design, development, and implementation of the next generation of their TMSs and TMCs. Links are provided to published technical reports and resources available from public agencies on a wide range of technical issues. The Traffic Management Systems and Centers Portal also includes:
- Planned events
- Technical resources and training
- Information on resources being developed
- Opportunities to suggest new research of resources to develop
- Access to ‘find an expert’ or ask your peers a question
I encourage you to consider this portal an opportunity to share technical resources, help advance current practices nationally, and support other agencies improving their TMSs and how they are managed and operated in support of enhancing safety and mobility on the surface transportation system. If you have any questions or need assistance with making technical resources available for others to access and benefit on the TMS and TMC portal, please email the NOCoE staff.
|
|
Survey to Guide NOCoE Products and Services
|
|
|
We'd like to ask for a few minutes out of your day to fill out a survey on NOCoE products and services. Please fill out the survey here.
This 7 minute survey will give us input into how our current services work towards helping you implement TSMO projects and strategies, and help guide us in how we can serve the TSMO community.
We want your input on webinars, peer exchanges, summits, case studies, this newsletter, and other services and resources we provide.
Please fill out the survey today to let us know how we can best serve you, the TSMO community.
|
|
|
Transportation Technology Tournament
|
|
|
2021 Transportation Technology Tournament is Now Open!
Sign-up now to solve a real-world transportation challenge
The National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) and the U.S. DOT ITS JPO PCB program are hosting a competition for students to work directly with public agencies to solve real-world transportation problems utilizing ITS and TSMO solutions.
How It Works:
Student teams will assemble to work with a State or local DOT, MPO, or transit agency to define a transportation problem. After signing up and identifying the team and the problem, students will work with academic advisors to learn about potential ITS and TSMO solutions via online training programs outlined below. Teams will then utilize their experience, education, and new coursework to develop a solution or suite of solutions to directly address the originally defined problem. Students will submit their solutions via a proposal. Finalist teams will develop a presentation and then participate in an event during the summer of 2021. Teams will give a presentation in front of a panel of judges made up of leaders in the ITS and TSMO community. One team will then be selected as the 2021 Transportation Technology Tournament Winner.
The 2018 - 2020 tournaments featured extremely competitive teams with innovative solutions. More information on previous years is available here.
Challenge Problems:
Each team will select a specific challenge problem to work on and a specific agency to work with on that problem. The challenge problem can be chosen from a provide list (coming soon!) or be developed directly with the partner agency. Examples of challenge problems can be found from the resources from the three previous years via the Transportation Technology Tournament webpages.
If You're a Student:
It's time to start assembling your team! Try and assemble a team with a diverse set of experiences: undergrad and graduate students, members from outside civil engineering program, communications and technical skills. You're going to need a team with a variety of skills and abilities.
If You're an Agency:
We're looking for your help in providing challenge problems for students to work on. The best challenge problems allow students to solve a real-world problem your agency is facing, but also contains some large implications for advancing the industry.
More information is available on the Transportation Technology Tournament website. Please contact Adam Hopps at the National Operations Center of Excellence if you have any further questions.
|
|
|
CTSO TSMO Roundtable Series
|
|
|
Best Practices for TSMO Training Programs
At All Levels of the Workforce
|
|
|
|
This roundtable session focused on how to develop an adequate training program for the development of knowledge and skills for TSMO focused staff at various workforce levels. Often times operations employees are forced to rely on the job training (OJT) to develop the needed TSMO competencies. Discussions included the sharing of examples and experiences in building more formalized training programs that support the maturity of staff and the agency as a whole.
Moderators:
- Suzette Peplinski, Michigan DOT
- Brad Freeze, Tennessee DOT
Speakers:
- Raj Ponnaluri, Florida DOT
- Stephen Glascock, Louisiana DOT
- Galen McGill, Oregon DOT
- Joe Hunt, Texas DOT
- Matt Neeley, Washington State DOT
|
|
TSMO Project Selection & Prioritization Best Practices
|
|
|
|
This roundtable provided peers an opportunity to share experiences on how specific TSMO projects are selected to meet the root needs of mobility, safety, and congestion (recurrent versus nonrecurrent). Key questions considered were: Of the many TSMO strategies that exist, which ones should be applied? How can I maximize the effectiveness of TSMO strategies I currently employ? What strategies produce greater (synergistic) benefits when combined with other strategies?
The panel was moderated by Monica Harwood from the Washington State DOT. Panelists include:
- Tracy Scriba, FHWA
- Kelli Raboy, DC DOT
- Jed Falgren, Minnesota DOT
- Rod Schilling, Nevada DOT
- Don Gutkowski, Wisconsin DOT
|
|
NOCoE Case Studies of the Week
|
|
|
|
Traffic Incident Communication Platform
By: City of Fremont Public Works Department and IPgallery Urban Mobility
 IN THIS CASE STUDY YOU WILL LEARN:
- How integration with transportation users can help develop a Mobility Action Plan.
- How the use of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based real-time data management platform helped mitigate congestion.
- How the city worked successfully with the application developer during the process.
Read the full case study.
|
|
|
International Border Wait Time Reliability Between Western New York and Southern Ontario
By: Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition
 IN THIS CASE STUDY YOU WILL LEARN:
- How multiple agencies across international borders worked together to collect useful data.
- How personal Wi-Fi/Bluetooth enabled devices were used to collect data on wait time in vehicles.
- How data collected allows the capability to provide the traveling public with real-time, to-the-minute border crossing times at three potential crossings.
Read the full case study.
|
|
|
Deployment of Smart Corridor Infrastructure to Monitor and Improve Performance
By: Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition
 IN THIS CASE STUDY YOU WILL LEARN:
- How smart technology reduced travel times in a complicated corridor with six signalized traffic signals.
- About smart intersection solutions that offer the ability to use high-resolution detection and data collection to operate signals and corridors more efficiently.
- How the data will be used to develop new timing strategies and monitor the subsequent impacts in the future.
Read the full case study.
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOCoE's webinar program has been expanding and evolving the last few years. We've set-up a YouTube channel to make all our webinar recordings available, we've worked with partners to developed webinar series to cover the important details of major TSMO strategies and activities, and we've expanded our delivery this year to average 3-4 webinars a month. All webinars are free to join.
The next evolution of the program is to provide Professional Development Hours (PDHs), something we hope will assist the TSMO professional in maintaining and expanding their professional licenses and certifications.
Each month, NOCoE provides a PDH tracking sheet to assist webinar attendees with keeping track of their professional development activities. The PDH credits are available for those attendees who register and attend the live webinar.
To see more on the PDHs please go to: transportationops.org/pdh. All upcoming NOCoE Webinars can be viewed from NOCoE Calendar.
|
|
|
Upcoming NOCoE Webinars
Maximizing Public and Private Sector Investments in Communications Systems | January 7, 2021 | Register
Talking TIM Webinar Series: January 2021 | January 27, 2021 | Register
Build Smart, Build Steady: Winning Strategies for Building Integrated Corridor Management Over Time | February 2, 2021 | Register
Please view the NOCoE Calendar to see all webinars, including
additional TSMO focused webinars from our partners.
|
|
|
Maximizing Public and Private Sector Investments in Communications Systems
January 7, 2021 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Register
Both wireless and fiber optic communications systems will remain the backbone of transportation technology for both connected and automated vehicles and mobility as a service. This webinar will discuss different approaches to maximize public and private sector investments in communications systems and broadband initiatives. How do public sector agencies develop programs to get beneficial fiber installed? How can agencies maximize the value of their ROW? How will COVID-19 and Rural Broadband Initiatives change the future of communications systems?
This webinar will have a panel of public and private sector speakers briefly talk about their different approaches and lessons learned. The panel will then discuss some key issues around the future of resource sharing.
More information on speakers and registration information can be found here.
|
|
Talking TIM Webinar Series: January 2021
January 27, 2021 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Register
The Talking TIM webinar series, brought to you by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), provides a forum where TIM champions with any level of experience can exchange information about current practices, programs, and technologies. Each month, the FHWA TIM Program Team will feature content that highlights successful programs, identifies best practices, and showcases technology that advances the profession. The webinar agenda will be published shortly.
More information on speakers and registration information can be found here.
|
|
Build Smart, Build Steady: Winning Strategies for Building Integrated Corridor Management Over Time
February 2, 2021 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Register
This webinar introduces FHWA's primer titled, “Build Smart, Build Steady: Winning Strategies for Building Integrated Corridor Management Over Time” and explains how best to use it (FHWA-HOP-19-039). The primer can be downloaded here.
The webinar provides information to agencies on how to:
- Deploy incrementally Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) and supporting Decision Support Systems (DSS).
- Adapt the ICM deployment and associated organizational form over time.
- Achieve long-term ICM financial sustainability.
The webinar also presents key challenges observed for ICM deployments in various states of maturity across the country, and suggested actions to mitigate them.
More information on speakers and registration can be found here.
|
|
We are expanding the way we connect you, the practitioner, with resources via our TSMO Resource Connect effort.
This service aims to be a resource to the growing TSMO industry, one that gives you access to information and people when you need it with direct assistance from us at NOCoE.
Here are some examples of how this service can help you:
- Looking for resources on any topic of TSMO
- Looking for an expert on a particular TSMO topic
- Researching new technologies or initiatives
- Learning more about an existing initiative that NOCoE is involved in
- Anything TSMO
From Nicole Forest, TSMO Resource Manager, Florida DOT, District 4: "The TSMO Resource Connect feature is an incredible opportunity to connect with resources that are not as readily available and that are needed for the function of TSMO. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to connect with Patrick one-on-one to ask questions that go beyond my organization. The TSMO Resource Connect has a lot of case studies, information, research, and peer reviews that come from all over the country and are easy to understand and allow for easy use within any organization that operates a TSMO program. I have a better direction on where take the TSMO program for FDOT District 4 utilizing the information I received through the TSMO Resource Connect service."
To facilitate this growing service, we’ve set up a scheduling tool so you can book time to work directly with us. We will help you identify important resources and connect you with them. Whether it’s people or files, we’re here to help you make the right connections to improve your systems and ultimately, the lives of your constituents.
Schedule your session today!
|
|
About the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
The mission of NOCoE is to empower the transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) community to succeed by building its knowledge, skills and abilities and to connect them with best-practices and experts to save lives, time and money. Born of a partnership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), we serve those in state departments of transportation, regional planning organizations, municipalities, local agencies as well as private sector organizations.
For more information, please visit www.transportationops.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
