Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate

Transportation Research Board

Where the Weather Meets the Road:

A Research Agenda for Improving Road

Weather Services

Where the Weather Meets the Road:

A Research Agenda for Improving Road

Weather Services

Friends of Aurora1 December 2004Minneapolis, MN

FHWA asked National Academies to identify research needed to address

weather impacts on the road environment

FHWA asked National Academies to identify research needed to address

weather impacts on the road environment

Weather impairs both safety and efficiency of roadways

– Associated with over 1.5 million accidents annually, accounting for ~600,000 injuries and 7,000 deaths

– Associated with 500 million hours of driver delay annually

Few new roads and increasing vehicle miles traveled will exacerbate already existing capacity problems

The Road Weather SystemOf The Future

The Road Weather SystemOf The Future

• “Infostructure” overlaying Road Infrastructure– Measurements to monitor weather, road conditions, and traffic flow– Integrated model-based decision support tools– Telecommunications tools to move data to/from the roadway– Multi-purpose components serving drivers, traffic managers, law

enforcement, emergency management, road maintenance

• “Smart” Vehicles– Communication with the road infostructure and other vehicles– Advise drivers on options, road and traffic conditions, safety concerns– Mobile observing platforms

• “Weather-smart” Users– Training and education programs required

Program Goals:

• Maximize use of available road weather information and technologies;

• Expand road weather research and development efforts to enhance roadway safety, capacity, and efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts; and

• Effectively implement new scientific and technological advances

Primary Recommendation:

Establish a focused, coordinated national road weather research program

Program Implementation

Regional Road Weather Research Centers• To develop new technologies, foster technology implementation

on regional roadways, and facilitate interaction between governments, the private sector, and academia

• Should bring together weather and transportation researchers, and practitioners/service providers in the public and private sectors

National Demonstration Corridors• To demonstrate effectiveness of road weather improvements,

facilitate nationwide implementation of research results, and provide a seamless stream of road weather information to users

Centralized leadership at the federal level is essential

• FHWA should have lead role in new road weather research program

– NOAA should be leading partner– Federal government should establish new interagency coordinating council to

guide program with participation from FHWA, NOAA, and NSF at a minimum

• New long-term dedicated funding within FHWA is needed– ~$25 million per year– Funds from other relevant initiatives should be highly leveraged

• Must foster effective public-private-academic partnerships– Essential partners include FHWA, NOAA, NSF, AASHTO, academia, state

and local governments, the private sector, and NGOs such as ITS America and AMS

For More Information…For More Information…

Contact Amanda Staudt <astaudt@nas.edu>

Or visit the BASC website:

www.nationalacademies.org/basc/

Application of Weather Application of Weather Information for Road Information for Road Safety and EfficiencySafety and Efficiency

William P. Mahoney IIIWilliam P. Mahoney IIINational Center for Atmospheric ResearchNational Center for Atmospheric Research

(NCAR)(NCAR)

AMS Policy Forum: Weather and HighwaysAMS Policy Forum: Weather and Highways

Policy Forum: Weather & HighwaysPolicy Forum: Weather & Highways

Total Attendees: Total Attendees: 9494 Federal Agency:Federal Agency: 1818 State:State: 8 8 Legislative:Legislative: 3 3 Private Sector:Private Sector: 3535 Academic:Academic: 1010 Other:Other: 2020

ExpectationsExpectations

““The motoring public demands The motoring public demands passable roadways everyday no passable roadways everyday no matter what the weather brings!”matter what the weather brings!”

AASHTOAASHTO

Therefore, we must transition from Therefore, we must transition from a a reactivereactive transportation system to transportation system to a a proactiveproactive system with respect to system with respect to weather!weather!

Weather Information Weather Information RequirementsRequirements

Better weather information will support…Better weather information will support…

Winter Maintenance OperationsWinter Maintenance Operations Traveler SafetyTraveler Safety- anti-icing chemical selection- anti-icing chemical selection - hazard detection- hazard detection- optimum chemical usage- optimum chemical usage - in-vehicle alerts- in-vehicle alerts- staff scheduling- staff scheduling - hazard avoidance- hazard avoidance

- trip planning- trip planningTraffic Management OperationsTraffic Management Operations

- predicting flow rates- predicting flow rates- managing congestion- managing congestion- incidence & crash response- incidence & crash response- proactive control strategies- proactive control strategies

Weather Information RequirementsWeather Information Requirements

Better weather information will support…

Incident Management- predicting problem areas- placement of response assets- faster cleanup

Construction- paving operations- striping- project scheduling

Emergency Management- first responder support- traffic control- identifying impacted corridors

Leveraging OpportunitiesLeveraging Opportunities

We must take advantage of the huge We must take advantage of the huge investmentinvestment

we have made in our nation’s weather we have made in our nation’s weather assetsassets

and reapply them for surface and reapply them for surface transportation.transportation.

Modeling

Radar

Road WeatherObservations

Satellites

ASOS

Road Weather Observation Systems

Information CommunicationInformation CommunicationITS ArchitectureITS Architecture

Weather information is an integral part of the ITS Weather information is an integral part of the ITS architecture. High-resolution, tailored weather information architecture. High-resolution, tailored weather information is required. R&D is needed to develop appropriate is required. R&D is needed to develop appropriate datasets for ITS applications.datasets for ITS applications.

Weather Information

Weather Weather and and

HighwaysHighways

AMS Forum RecommendationsAMS Forum Recommendations

[1] Overarching Recommendation[1] Overarching Recommendation

Congress should authorize and provide long-term Congress should authorize and provide long-term funding for a funding for a NATIONAL ROAD WEATHER NATIONAL ROAD WEATHER RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS PROGRAMAPPLICATIONS PROGRAM..

• Multifaceted, multidisciplinary programMultifaceted, multidisciplinary program travelers needstravelers needs emergency managementemergency management traffic managementtraffic management Incident managementIncident management maintenance and constructionmaintenance and construction

• Focused on user needs (travelers and operations)Focused on user needs (travelers and operations)• Emphasize technology transfer components Emphasize technology transfer components • Compliment existing weather and ITS capabilitiesCompliment existing weather and ITS capabilities

Winter Maintenance Decision Support Systems

[2] National Coordination[2] National Coordination

Federal and State DOTs should coordinate with Federal and State DOTs should coordinate with public, private and academic sectors to develop public, private and academic sectors to develop strategies to improve the safety and efficiency of the strategies to improve the safety and efficiency of the roadway system during adverse weather.roadway system during adverse weather.

• Aggressively implement currently Aggressively implement currently available technologiesavailable technologies

• Promote expansion of roadPromote expansion of roadcondition information systemscondition information systems

• Develop weather mitigationDevelop weather mitigationstrategiesstrategies

Surface TransportationWeather Research & Applications Program

US DOT

State DOTs

NationalLabs

UTCs

NOAA

PrivateSector

Auto Companies

Universities

AASHTO

ITSA

TRB

[3] Data Infrastructure[3] Data Infrastructure

FHWA, NOAA, and State DOTs should develop a FHWA, NOAA, and State DOTs should develop a national weather and road condition data national weather and road condition data infrastructure to improve safety and efficiency.infrastructure to improve safety and efficiency.

Rest area kiosk

• Include roadway surface weather observationsInclude roadway surface weather observations• National data sharing using common formatsNational data sharing using common formats• Public data access for commercial service providersPublic data access for commercial service providers

Surface observations

ROAD CONDITIONS

[4] Delivery of Road Weather [4] Delivery of Road Weather ServicesServices

NOAA, NSF, commercial weather providers, and NOAA, NSF, commercial weather providers, and transportation stakeholders must cooperate to transportation stakeholders must cooperate to improve hazardous weather detection and forecasts improve hazardous weather detection and forecasts for surface transportation.for surface transportation.

• surface meteorology researchsurface meteorology research- fog, snow, ice, hail, rain, drifting- fog, snow, ice, hail, rain, drifting

• road/bridge condition predictionroad/bridge condition prediction- black ice, road frost- black ice, road frost

• pavement condition sensorspavement condition sensors• information presentationinformation presentation

[5] Training and Road Weather [5] Training and Road Weather EducationEducation

Training is required for highway decision makers on the Training is required for highway decision makers on the benefits of utilizing weather information and education benefits of utilizing weather information and education is required for travelersis required for travelers

• Improve understanding of hazardsImprove understanding of hazards• Develop road weather curriculumDevelop road weather curriculum• Develop driver education programsDevelop driver education programs• Driver promotional campaign on hazardsDriver promotional campaign on hazards

Transportation Managers

Maintenance Operators

[6] In-Vehicle Weather Information[6] In-Vehicle Weather Information

Real time weather hazard information needs to be Real time weather hazard information needs to be part of in-vehicle information systems.part of in-vehicle information systems.

• Automotive manufacturer incentivesAutomotive manufacturer incentives• Human factor researchHuman factor research• Optimum routing guidanceOptimum routing guidance• Safety related voice alertsSafety related voice alerts

black iceblack icehailhailhigh windshigh windsfogfogheavy rainheavy rain

Real-timeWeather Information

Here

Leadership of the U.S. DOT under the oversight Leadership of the U.S. DOT under the oversight and support of Congress is vital to improve safety and support of Congress is vital to improve safety and enhance mobility of our national roadway and enhance mobility of our national roadway system during poor weather conditions.system during poor weather conditions.