ITS Heartland 2012 Annual Meeting Kansas City, MO Presented by Ginny Crowson, Senior Project Manager, Athey Creek Consultants

1. Next Generation of
Traveler Information
E N T E R P R I S E
ITS Heartland
March 27, 2012

2. Outline
• Project overview
• Preliminary information on current practice
• Upcoming information exchange
• Questions
E N T E R P R I S E

3. Project Overview
• ENTERPRISE
– FHWA Transportation Pooled Fund Study
TPF-5(231) since 1991
– 16 members (including Ontario and Dutch Ministry
of Transport)
– Forum for collaborative ITS research, development
and deployment ventures
For more information, visit
www.enterprise.prog.org
E N T E R P R I S E

4. Project Overview
• Background
– Anticipating Real-Time Management Information Program
(23 CFR 511 or Section 1201) requirements by 2014
– Budget constraints continue
– Things evolve rapidly
• ENTERPRISE members want to understand
– New dissemination options and customer needs for them
– Ways to minimize operating costs
– Sources of data available
– Performance targets and measurement
E N T E R P R I S E

5. Project Overview
• Project authorized in early March
• Objectives
– Discover and understand current trends
– Articulate traveler information goals
– Develop a plan for acting on trends
• Research with agencies, industry and customers
• Organize information exchange
• Develop traveler information framework
document
E N T E R P R I S E

6. Current Practice
• Survey distributed to states
– 511 Deployment Coalition contacts and ENTERPRISE
updates
– 24 responses
– 18 states, 1 metropolitan region
– Administered via SurveyMonkey
• Questions grouped into three categories
– Dissemination
– Data
– Operational Practices
E N T E R P R I S E

7. Current Practice
• SurveyMonkey clip
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RealTimeTravelerInformationProgram
E N T E R P R I S E

8. Current Practice: Dissemination

9. Current Practice: Dissemination
• Most also
disseminate
data to other
sources for
distribution to
travelers
– Typically via
web using XML
data feeds

10. Current Practice: Data
• Getting close to meeting 23 CFR 511/1201!
E N T E R P R I S E

11. Current Practice: Data
• How is data being gathered?
– Transportation staff (96%)
– Network detection (82%)
– Purchased third party (18%)
– Traveler reports (9%)
– Others included weather services, other agencies,
toll tag readers
E N T E R P R I S E

12. Current Practice: Operational Practices
5%
32%
64%

13. Current Practice: Operational Practices
• About half have established program goals
– Meeting 23 CFR 511/1201 was most common
– Some focused on releasing updated versions of
services
• Similar results for performance targets and
measures
– Additional references to 23 CFR 511/1201
– Others referenced minimizing downtime,
increasing awareness and improving traffic
operations
E N T E R P R I S E

14. Current Practice: Operational Practices
• Varied practices related to seeking customer
feedback
9%
23% 32%
36%
E N T E R P R I S E

15. Current Practice: Operational Practices
• Very few partner with others to generate
revenue in support of program
– One entire program has been turned into an “ad-
supported venture”
– Others are just beginning their partnerships
E N T E R P R I S E

16. Information Exchange
• Webinars and summary reports
– May through September 2012
• Focused topics
– Understanding and setting traveler information goals
– Dissemination tools
– Cost management
– Customer needs and wants
– Data management
– Performance targets
E N T E R P R I S E

17. Information Exchange
• Project information will be available through
ENTERPRISE web page
– www.enterprise.prog.org/Projects/2010_Present/
nexteraoftravelerinfo.html
E N T E R P R I S E

18. Questions
How do you think programs like Connected Vehicle
will impacts traveler information?
How do you think restricted transportation
budgets will impact traveler information?
Is traveler information a core service for
transportation agencies?
Where do you see traveler information in 10-20
years?
What will customers want?
E N T E R P R I S E

19. Questions
Ginny Crowson, Athey Creek Consultants
ENTERPRISE Program Support Consultant
651.600.3338
crowson@acconsultants.org
Bill Legg, Washington Department of Transportation
ENTERPRISE Program Chair
360.705.7994
leggb@wsdot.wa.gov
E N T E R P R I S E