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Where the Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services 1

This research agenda focuses on improving road weather services to enhance roadway safety, capacity, and efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. It aims to identify gaps in scientific knowledge, develop new technologies, and facilitate the implementation of road weather improvements.

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Where the Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services 1

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  1. Where the Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services 1 John T. Snow The University of Oklahoma Amanda Staudt National Research Council AMS Second Annual Users Conference 13 January 2004 Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Transportation Research Board

  2. About The Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate • BASC was established in 1982 by the NRC to: • advance understanding of earth's atmosphere and climate • provide cogent and independent advice on critical scientific issues • help apply this knowledge to benefit the public • advise the federal government • Mission carried out through the activities of specialized committees and panels • BASC addresses issues ranging from narrowly defined, highly technical problems to broad public policy concerns

  3. Context Weather impairs both safety and efficiency of roadways • Associated with over 1.5 million accidents annually, accounting for 800,000 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 Numerous technological advances provide the impetus to develop a road weather research program to save lives and minimize congestion!

  4. Statement of Task:Road Weather Research • Describe nature and scope of road weather issues and economic impacts • Characterize current state of road-related weather research • Identify gaps in the scientific knowledge base where R&D is needed • Discuss how research can be designed to support operations and lead to practical applications • Identify needs within the meteorological infrastructure necessary to establish effective road weather research and operational capabilities

  5. Overarching Recommendation • 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 Establish a focused, coordinated national road weather research program Program Goals:

  6. Program Implementation 1 Regional 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 Photo Credit: Jon Hankey, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

  7. Program Implementation 2 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 • One running north-south (e.g., I-35) • One running east-west (e.g., I-80)

  8. Program Management Centralized leadership at the federal level is essential for setting research priorities, administering grants, providing a central repository for research findings, and ensuring accountability • FHWA should have lead role; 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 • Must foster effective partnerships with state and local agencies and with private sector

  9. Program Management 2 New long-term dedicated funding within FHWA is essential • ~$25 million per year • Long-term commitment (more than a decade) • FHWA should manage these funds • Funds from other relevant initiatives should be highly leveraged Must foster 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

  10. Research Framework 5 Key Areas: • a robust, integrated observational network and data management system • a coordinated research effort • improved modeling capabilities and forecast tools • mechanisms for communicating road weather information to users • an infostructure that takes advantage of new technologies

  11. Research Effort Improve prediction and warning of weather-influenced hazards that rapidly impede roadway use • flash floods, avalanches, mudslides Archive and mine operational traffic observations to assess weather impacts • traffic counters, video cameras Undertake human factors research

  12. Communication Develop methods for estimating and conveying confidence in road weather information Develop means to effectively communicate road weather information to users

  13. Other Key Program Elements Enable efficient technology transfer • user communities must be involved at every step • private sector an important partner Improve education and training of road weather information users Seek out synergies and efficiencies between road weather research and parallel efforts regarding other modes of transportation • aviation (in particular), rail, transit

  14. In Closing The proposed national road weather research program will lead to advances in knowledge and operational capabilities that could improve thesafety and efficiency of a transportation system that is used by millions of peopleevery single day and is affected by weatherevery single day Decision-makers have the ability to help achieve this vision by capitalizing on the recommended framework and bringing the road weather research program to fruition

  15. Committee Members John Snow(chair), U of Oklahoma Elizabeth Carter, WeatherExtreme, LLC Brad Colman, NWS, Seattle, Washington Dennis Christiansen, Texas Transportation Institute Paul DeLannoy, Environment Canada Francis Francois(ret), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) George Frederick, Vaisala, Inc. Frances Holt, NOAA–NESDIS Margaret LeMone, NCAR Curt Pape, Minnesota DOT Leland Smithson, AASHTO Richard Wagoner, NCAR Photo Credit: Curt Pape, Minnesota Department of Transportation

  16. For More Information… Contact Amanda Staudt <astaudt@nas.edu> Or visit the BASC website: www.nationalacademies.org/basc/

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