During the 2019 NADO Annual Training Conference (October 19 - 22 in Reno, NV), Rod Schilling shared information on the Nevada Department of Transportation's effort to improve information about roadway conditions by equipping snow plows and other maintenance vehicles with sensors.

1. 10/30/20191

2. Deploying Technology to Improve
Transportation Systems
Weather Responsive Management
Strategies (WRMS)
Rod Schilling, NDOT
2
2019 NADO ATC
Reno, Nevada
October 18-22, 2019

3. Nevada DOT WRMS Framework
3
In-Vehicle Equipment:
• Weather Sensors
• Vehicle Sensors (OBU, CANBus)
• Equipment Sensors (Spreader)
• Location Sensor (GPS)
• Radio
Applications and MMS:
• Winter Maintenance
- Treatment
Recommendations
- Material Usage Tracking
• Traffic Management
- Traveler Information
• Data Management Systems
- WxDE, NCAR, etc

4. Weather-Responsive Traffic
Management (WRTM)
4
2019 NADO ATC
Reno, Nevada
October 18-22, 2019

5. Nevada DOT WRMS Framework
5
In-Vehicle Equipment:
• Weather Sensors
• Vehicle Sensors (OBU, CANBus)
• Equipment Sensors (Spreader)
• Location Sensor (GPS)
• Radio
Applications and MMS:
• Winter Maintenance
- Treatment
Recommendations
- Material Usage Tracking
• Traffic Management
- Traveler Information
• Data Management Systems
- WxDE, NCAR, etc

6. Nevada IMO Project
• Approx. 60 vehicles equipped to acquire mobile data including:
- Air Temperature
- Surface Temperature
- Relative Humidity
- Atmospheric Pressure
- Wiper Status
- Spreader Rate
• Supports a number of WRMS Applications
- WRTM
- Data is processed through the Nevada Data Exchange (NDEX)
- Road Weather Information System (RWIS) Data
- Digital Camera Images
- Mobile (IMO) Data
- WRMM
- Enhanced Maintenance Decision Support System (eMDSS)
- Motorist Advisory and Warning
- Material Usage Tracking
6

7. 10/30/2019
NIMO 3 Vehicles
- 9 Snow plows with instrumented spreader motors
and 1 freeway service patrol vehicle
- 5 in Reno
- 3 in Carson City
- 2 in Lake Tahoe
District II IMO Inventory
UNIT # YEAR MAKE MODEL DESCRIPTION
2272 2007 PETERBILT 357 TANDEM AXLE DUMP TRUCK
1915 2007 PETERBILT 357 TANDEM AXLE DUMP TRUCK
0763 2009 PETERBILT 367 TANDEM AXLE CAB AND CHASIS
2275 2007 PETERBILT 357 TANDEM AXLE DUMP TRUCK
3200 2007 PETERBILT 357 TANDEM AXLE DUMP TRUCK
2274 2007 PETERBILT 357 TANDEM AXLE DUMP TRUCK
3319 2009 PETERBILT 367
TANDEM AXLE CAB AND CHASIS
SWL
0323 2007 PETERBILT 367 TANDEM AXLE CAB AND CHASIS
0267 2001 INTERNATIONAL 5000 AWD
R1 2012 FORD E240 FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL VAN/PU
7

8. Plow On-Board Hardware
Mirror Mounted
Air Temp -
Atmospheric Pressure
Comet Sensor
Rear Mounted
Spreader Rate
Custom Sensor
Behind Passenger
Seat Mounted
OBU – ARADA System
Mirror Mounted
Air/Pavement Temp –
Roadwatch Sensor
Mirror Mounted
Multi-band Diversity
Antenna
Cell, WIFI & GPS
Mobile Mark Sensor

9. NIMO 3 On Board Units (OBU)

10. DSRC Site Locations
10
18 Locations along I-580
1. I-80
2. Mill Street
3. Plumb Lane
4. Moana Lane
5. Peckham Lane
6. Neil Road
7. Exit 61, Virginia St
8. Arrow Creek
9. SR 431, Mt. Rose Hwy
10. Galena Forest
11. Steamboat Hills
12. Galena Creek
13. Brown’s Creek
14. Parker Ranch
15. Bower’s
16. Washoe Valley
17. Arrowhead Dr
18. 5th Street

11. Vehicle Routes
Cellular
DSRC
11
18 DSRC Locations
32 Miles DSRC
54 Miles Cellular

12. Nevada DOT WRMS Framework
12
In-Vehicle Equipment:
• Weather Sensors
• Vehicle Sensors (OBU, CANBus)
• Equipment Sensors (Spreader)
• Location Sensor (GPS)
• Radio
Applications and MMS:
• Winter Maintenance
- Treatment
Recommendations
- Material Usage Tracking
• Traffic Management
- Traveler Information
• Data Management Systems
- WxDE, NCAR, etc
WRTM

13. • NDOT’s coloimomesssrv1 (aka – mESS server)
• IMO3 configurations and applications utilizing the NDOT
coloimomesssrv1
• mESS server database receiving IMO3 OBU and RSU observation and
local mapping application running
• All RSU’s using IP/Ethernet
• IP Host OBU Plan implemented
• NDEX Interface Control Document (ICD) complete
• Switch over for all mESS and RSU data to NDOT mESS server
completed
• JSON format
10/30/201913

14. IMO 2272
10/30/201914

15. FSP
10/30/201915

16. IMO 0267
10/30/201916

17. Nevada DOT WRMS Framework
17
In-Vehicle Equipment:
• Weather Sensors
• Vehicle Sensors (OBU, CANBus)
• Equipment Sensors (Spreader)
• Location Sensor (GPS)
• Radio
Applications and MMS:
• Winter Maintenance
- Treatment
Recommendations
- Material Usage Tracking
• Traffic Management
- Traveler Information
• Data Management Systems
- WxDE, NCAR, etc
WRTM

18. 10/30/201918
Nevada Data Exchange (NDEX) - General Concept

19. • Detector Station
• CCTV
• Dynamic Message Sign (DMS)
• Environmental Sensors (ESS)
• Mobile Environmental Sensors (mESS) – (No National Standard)
• Highway Advisory Radio (HAR)
• Incidents/Events
• Ramp Meter
• Node, Link, Traffic Network
NDEX messages include
inventory and device status
19
NDEX Device Types

20. 20
Nevada Data Exchange
• Environmental Sensor Stations (ESS)
•Road Weather Information Sites (RWIS)
•135 Nevada DOT non-invasive and invasive sites
•Wind Speed and Direction; Gust Speed and Direction; Visibility; Air Temperature; Relative
Humidity; Dew Point; Rain (Yes/No), Rate; Road Grip; Water Layer, Ice Layer; Snow Depth, Snow
Layer; Surface Temperature; Pavement Temperature; Soil Temperature; Surface Status and Surface
Freeze Point
• Mobile Environmental Sensor Stations (mESS)
•IMO
•Approximately 60 vehicles equipped to receive mobile weather data
•Air Temperature
•Surface Temperature
•Relative Humidity
•Atmospheric Pressure
•AVL
•Wiper Status and Rate
•Spreader Rate

21. NIMO 3 Sensor Package Inventory
10/30/201921
Sensor ID Manufacturer Source Unit of Measure Target Observation Type
ATRoadwatch NTCIP 1204 ESS Air Temperature
RTRoadwatch NTCIP 1205 ESS Surface Temperature
ATComet Temperature Celsius NTCIP 1204 ESS Air Temperature
RHComet
Relative Humidity, percent NTCIP 1204 ESS Relative Humidity
APComet
Atmospheric Pressure, Bar NTCIP 1205 ESS Atmospheric Pressure
GPGGA Cradlepoint NMEA 0183 Sentence GPGGA NMEA 0183 Sentence GPGGA
WRAdam Adam Wiper Rate SAE J2735
Roadwatch Temperature Celsius
Comet

22. 10/30/2019
Use Available Standard Measures
22

23. 10/30/201923
NDEX Key Stakeholders (Users)
• Traffic Management Centers (D2 Reno, D3 Elko, &
D1 / FAST / Las Vegas)
• External Centers (UNR, UNLV, UC Davis, & DRI)

24. 10/30/201924
NDEX Key Stakeholders (Users)
• Other County and City TMCs (RTC South / Seeing Orange)
• NDOT 511 (VoltDelta) and Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP)
• NIMO, WxDE, and NCAR
• RTC North, Waze

25. Weather-Responsive Maintenance
Management (WRMM)
25
2019 NADO ATC
Reno, Nevada
October 18-22, 2019

26. Nevada DOT WRMS Framework
26
In-Vehicle Equipment:
• Weather Sensors
• Vehicle Sensors (OBU, CANBus)
• Equipment Sensors (Spreader)
• Location Sensor (GPS)
• Radio
WRMM
Applications:
• Data Management Systems
- NCAR, EMDSS
• Winter Maintenance
- Treatment
Recommendations
- Material Usage Tracking
• Traffic Management
- Traveler Information
- MAW

27. Enhanced MDSS
27
• As part of the EDC-4 Weather Savvy Roads
initiatives:
– Executed agreement with University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research (UCAR) as of 07/16/2018 to
deploy and utilize the Enhanced Maintenance
Decision Support System (EMDSS) during times of
inclement weather and dangerous road conditions
• Road Treatment Recommendations
• Road Segment Observations
• Alerts due to Inclement Weather
• MAW

28. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201928

29. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201929
Sources of Weather Data:
- NDOT RWIS
- NOAA radar mosaic reflectivity grids
- NOAA dual polarization radar grids
- NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS) model
- NOAA High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model
- NOAA Model Output Statistics (MOS)
- NOAA Real-time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) model
- NDOT IMO vehicles

30. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201930

31. 10/30/201931
Pikalert - Forecast Plots

32. Enhanced MDSS
32
• Treatment Recommendations
– Configure road condition and treatment module for
Nevada salt brine, salt, and salt/sand treatment
– Treatments are based upon the FHWA guidelines and
NDOT practices
• Weather Alerts – 4 alert levels: Clear, Notice, Caution and
Warning
– Blow over forecasting
– Provide MAW
– Email alerts to the Road Operations Center for 4 alert levels:
Clear, Notice, Caution and Warnings
– Integrating with 511 and Spillman CAD

33. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201933

34. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201934

35. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201935

36. Pikalert - Weather Forecasting
10/30/201936
Motorist Advisory Warning (MAW)

37. Enhanced MDSS
37
• Benefits Expected To Be Achieved
– NDOT turn over in maintenance staff and
experience
– This will provide the necessary tools to train and
educate the staff
– Provides 72 hour weather forecasting to
maintenance staff
– Provides NDOT recommended treatments
– Provides real-time road weather segment
observations
– Provides real-time mobile weather observations

38. Material Usage Tracking
38
• NDOT Equipment Division
• NIMO3 rear mounted custom spreader rate system
• Tasks with Pikalert include the following:
• Plow information
• Location of maintained roads
• Status display of roads plowed with new color coded overlay
• Which Materials
• salt brine, salt, and salt/sand treatment

39. Material Usage Tracking
39
• NDOT Equipment Division
• Implementing snow plows with Cirus Spreaders
•Which Materials
•salt brine, salt, and salt/sand treatment

40. Material Usage Tracking
40
• Benefits Expected To Be Achieved
• Integrate sensor data where coupled with AVL allows
tracking of how specific segments of the roadway are
being treated with material
• Allows Maintenance Supervisors and Engineers to use
EMDSS for evaluating gains and losses
• The information can be used to optimize maintenance
operations
• MMS serves as the backbone to EMDSS
• Creates a performance index for the departments
transparency