Executive Session

1. An Overview of Transportation Systems Management What’s It All About? Executive Session MPO Leadership April 21, 2005 Association for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) Under a Grant from the Federal Highway Administration

2. Session Purpose Share with MPO leadership emerging thinking with respect to transportation systems management and operations (TSM&O) and its incorporation into the investment decision-making process

3. Regional Concerns • Economic growth/sustainability • Security • Public safety • Congestion • Sprawl • Environment (e.g., air and water) …..And everyone is faced with budget constraints, decreased funding, and rising expectations

4. Transportation Aspects of Regional Concerns • Commuter congestion • Traffic incidents • Goods movement • Special events • Homeland security • Emergency response and management • Modal choices • Work zones • Weather Growing congestion is a front page story!

5. Concerns Possibilities • Move traffic smoothly and safely • Keep travelers informed • Facilitate passenger mode choices • Move goods efficiently • Detect and clear incidents quickly • Evacuate large populations effectively • Coordinate construction projects Consistently across jurisdictional boundaries

6. Traffic Incident Management Travel Information Services (for roadways and for transit) Freeway Management Automatic Vehicle Location for Transit Traffic Signal Coordination Work Zone Traffic Management Roadway Weather Information Electronic Payment (for transit, parking, tolling) Freight Management (ports and transfer areas) Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O) includes: Applied individually or in combination

7. Why Is TSM&O Important? To take back as much of the road as we can ! Special Events TSM & O Weather Capacity Work Zones Incidents Recurring congestion

8. TSM&O Strategies Traffic incident management Traveler information services Freeway management Traffic signal management Transit priority systems Work zone traffic management Road weather management Electronic payment services Freight management Special events planning Transportation Concerns Commuter congestion Traffic incidents Goods movement Special events Homeland security Emergency response & management Modal choices Work zones Weather TSM&O Addresses Regional Concerns

9. The Reauthorization of TEA-21 will likely: • Place greater importance on TSM&O to help mitigate congestion, improve safety and security, and improve mobility • Recognize and encourage greater collaboration and coordination on a regional scale to maximize the benefits of TSM&O initiatives

10. Essentials for Moving to 21st Century TSM&O • The application of advanced technologies • Unprecedented levels of collaboration and coordination within a region

11. What Does “Unprecedented levels of collaboration and coordination within a region” mean? • Regional partnerships among managers with responsibility for day-to-day transportation operations • Stronger and better linkages between planners and operations managers.

12. Planning Influenced by TSM&O • “Operations thinking” influences vision • Decisions engage operations managers • Operations/capital mix optimized • Performance measures reflect objectives • Regional performance informs planning Implications for Regional Planning • Traditional Planning Process • Elected/appointed officials • Collective regional plan development • Long-term planning focus • Near-term project funding • Projects of local and regional significance • Historical trends Improving regional transportation system performance

13. Regional TSM&O • Regional cross-jurisdictional, multi- agency, multi-modal system • Real-time information sharing 24/7 to support operations decisions • Deliberate and sustained collaboration and coordination • Customer-focused performance measures Implications for Transportation Operations • Typical “O&M” • Jurisdictional/Agency focused • Maintenance oriented • Peak-period focused • Limited real-time information • Targeted coordination for specific events • Output-based measures Improving regional transportation system performance

14. Opportunities that Advance Regional TSM&O • Regional ITS architecture • Performance measures • Data collection and sharing • Regional TSM&O projects • Funding/resource sharing • Regional forums for collaboration • Congestion management systems Implications for Linkages between Planning and Operations • Typical Interactions between Planning and Operations • Operating agencies often “at the table” but focused on projects • Specific projects • Major special events • Post 9-11 emergency response planning • ITS regional architecture development Improving regional transportation system performance

15. Successful Linkages Means… • Operations data archived for transportation planning • Long-range transportation plan reflects regional operations • Planning analysis tools evaluate operations projects • Traffic engineering agencies deliberately share information about traffic conditions with the planning agency • A group is established to continuously collaborate, plan, and advance regional TSM&O activities e.g., signal coordination. Maintain and sustain for the long-term

16. Representation and awareness Local Jurisdictions “O&M” State DOT Local Transportation Planning and Investment Decision-making State Transportation Planning and Investment Decision-making Transportation Operations and Maintenance Regional Transportation Planning and Investment Decision-making RegionalTransportation Systems Management and Operations Linkage Where Are We Headed?“A Cultural Shift”

17. New services -- not new roads “Looking forward to the next 100 years, the focus is not construction, maintenance and operations. It's operations, maintenance and construction.” VirginiaTransportation Commissioner Philip A. Shucet “Build a road when you have to. Make sure you've tried everything else.” Virginia State Senator Marty Williams Daily Press (Hampton Roads, VA)

18. Success Story: The Washington State Traffic Incident Response Team • A coalition transportation, police, fire and emergency response agencies. • Collaboration is continuous to develop and improve response planning • Plan addresses detection, response, investigation, re-routing traffic, and clearance. • Most major traffic incidents are cleared in less than 2 hours

19. Success Story: The Southeast Michigan Snow and Ice Management (SEMSIM) Partnership • Four jurisdictions work together on winter road maintenance • Collaboration facilitates information and resource sharing • Decisions are made locally • Common purchasing • Standard use of ITS • Jurisdictions save money

20. What’s In It For The Region?Some Tangible Benefits • Facilitation of information and data sharing • Technology upgrades and compatibility • Savings in procurement • Faster response time • Extended hours of service/operation • Expanded service area coverage • New funding opportunities • Coordinated operations

21. Opportunities to Build Success • A traffic incident management committee • A regional traffic signal coordination task force • A CMS coordinating group • A regional ITS architecture committee • An emergency response coordinating group • A regional traveler information working group • A work zone traffic management team Involves operations managers and planners from State, transit, local agencies, and MPO

22. The “Cultural Shift” – Making It Happen! • Build on current collaborative activities that are occurring in the region • Leverage opportunities available through existing efforts • Exploit opportunities to link planning and operations • Develop a regional concept for transportation operations

23. Essential Themes • Regional perspective builds relationships for the future • Focus on “making the systems work better” not just on reacting to problems • Holistic thinking – bring operations thinking into the regional planning process • Sustain and build upon existing regional partnerships that may cross jurisdictional, functional, and public/private sector boundaries

24. For More Information:Contacts • FHWA’s Joint Operations and Planning Program: • wayne.berman@fhwa.dot.gov • harlan.miller@fhwa.dot.gov • robin.mayhew@fhwa.dot.gov • FHWA Resource Center: Planning & Operations Technical Service Team • Grant.zammit@fhwa.dot.gov • Brain.betlyon@fhwa.dot.gov • Mac.lister@fhwa.dot.gov • Ben.williams@fhwa.dot.gov

25. Useful Publications • “Getting More By Working Together – Opportunities for Linking Planning and Operations” • “Regional Transportation Operations Collaboration and Coordination – A Primer for Working Together to Improve Transportation Safety, Reliability, and Security” • E-Copy available at: • http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/travel • http://www.plan4operations.dot.gov • Hard copy available upon request from FHWA

26. Workshops and Training • “Advancing Transportation System Management and Operations” • Executive session available now • 1-day NHI course available in April 2005