incident response, parking, and maintenance weather systems
TRANSCRIPT
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
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
What Functionality Makes Incident Management Work?
1. Incident detection
2. Incident verification
3. Incident response
4. Management
5. Motorist information
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
2. Incident Verification
• Notification of an incident is not detection
• Does it really exist?
• Where is it?
• What is the problem?
2. Incident Verification
• Usually requires visual confirmation– CCTV– Personal visit
• Service patrol
• Police
• Airplane
• Maintenance staff
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: Contractedprivate media patrol in the Olympic Region
2. Incident Verification
• Verification allows call out of response
• The faster the proper response, the faster clearance takes place
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)
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
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
5. Motorist Information
• Information needs to be delivered to customers– Radio– VMS / CMS– New electronic devices– Other
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”
Parking Management Functions
• Requires – Monitoring of space availability– Communication with drivers– A funding source
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
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?
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
Ultrasound sensor checks each space for a vehicle. Green/Red light above space indicates if space available.
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
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
City of Seattle
• Solar powered with a wireless connection
• Each station costs $6,000
• Track revenue & usage
Maintenance Weather Management
• 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
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
Snow Prediction• Requires extensive weather monitoring
system
• Must track micro-climates
• Need forecasting capabilities
• Can save money
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)
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
ARROWS
• Automated Real Time Weather Information Systems
• Used by WSDOT (not public) to manage weather related maintenance
• Forecasts snow, road icing, etc
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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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?
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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
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
Yamaha• Vertical take-off and
landing
• Used in Asia for crop spraying
• 50 pound payload
• Costs around $200,000
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