The Federal Highway Administration Presents

1. The Federal Highway Administration Presents The Maintenance Decision Support System Paul Pisano Team Leader, Road Weather Management

2. The Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) What is it? - It is a Guidance Tool for Winter Road Maintenance Operators that - Combines Customized Rules of Practice with • State-of-the-Art Weather Models and Forecasting Techniques by - Leveraging the talents of5 National Laboratories

3. Goals of the MDSS Project • The National Perspective: • Foster a Collaborative Environment that focuses cutting edge • research on Surface Transportation Weather • Maximize investments by building upon existing capabilities • Cultivate New Relationships with Private Sector Partners • For State Departments of Transportation, the Goals are to provide: • Better Road-specific Forecasts • A higher Level of Service • A Cost Savings from reduced use of Chemicals and Manpower • Less Impact on the Environment

4. Vision of Success • Continue Evolutionary Development of RWIS • Support High Risk R&D • Integrate into an Operational Environment • Harden the Prototype • Via Public/Private Partnerships • Conduct Objective Verification and Validation • Open Development Process • No Preferential Treatment • Multi-Disciplinary • Multi-Constituency

5. FSL PC Application Mesoscale Models Ensemble Forecasting System Transportation System Database Data & Model Input Data Fusion & Algorithms Internet User Display NWS NCAR Stakeholder Remote Viewing NOAA PORT Models Operational Weather Data Road Weather Forecast System Web Server Content Generation NSSL Precipitation Type Algorithms MDSS Display Host CRREL Road Temperature & Chemical Concentration Algorithms DOT Database RWIS & Mesonet Data CRREL/LL Rules of Practice Module Architectural Overview of the MDSS Operational Prototype

6. Quick Tour of the MDSS Alert Summary Screen

7. MDSS Alert Status Screen Alert Status Screen Shows a Snapshot of Weather and Road Hazards for a Forecast Period of up to 48 Hours

8. MDSS Parameter Selection Screen Allows Selection of Forecast Alerts and Weather Parameters

9. MDSS Animation Control Screen Manual and Automatic Looping of Alerts and Weather Parameters Throughout the 48 Hour Forecast Period

10. MDSS State Alert Summary Screen Roadway Forecast Points Depicted by Colored Dots State DOT Forecast Zones are Outlined in Black The Forecast Zone is Color Coded to Show the Worst Conditions Local DOT Coverage Regions are Depicted by Blue Rectangles

11. MDSS Local Area Summary Screen Weather and Road Alerts Are Specific to the Local Region Treatment Options Selection Screen Becomes Available Treatment Selections are shown against the Forecast Timeline

12. MDSS Local Area Summary Screen - Zoom Place the Cursor over a Forecast Point to see a Site Specific Condition Update Place the Cursor over a Forecast Route to see a Route Mobility Summary Screen

13. MDSS Local Area Summary Screen One of the Greatest Capabilities of the MDSS is its Ability to Provide Optimized Treatment Solutions or to allow Maintenance Managers to run “What-If” Scenarios.

14. MDSS Alternative Treatment Screen Managers can Select Chemical Types Application Amount and Application Start Time Additional Material Types will Be Added in 2003

15. Treatment Selection Screen - Mobility • Mobility Forecasts are Presented for • The “Recommended” Treatment • A User-Selected “Alternative” Treatment • “No Treatment”

16. Treatment Selection Screen – Snow Depth • Snow Depth Forecasts are Presented for • The “Recommended” Treatment • A User-Selected “Alternative” Treatment • “No Treatment”

17. Treatment Selection Screen – Road Temperature • Road Temperature Forecasts are Presented for • The “Recommended” Treatment • A User-Selected “Alternative” Treatment • “No Treatment” No Treatment Yet Selected

18. Treatment Selection Screen – Chemical Concentration • Chemical Concentration Forecasts are Presented for • The “Recommended” Treatment • A User-Selected “Alternative” Treatment • “No Treatment”

19. MDSS Operations Database Screen Closest RWIS/AWOS or ASOS Observation Ground Truth Data Entry Chemical Stocks Database Shift Scheduling

20. MDSS Status and Future Plans • For the Latest News on the MDSS Project, Check the FHWA Road Weather Management web site at: • http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.htm • - MDSS Functional Prototype Demonstration Program is Available for Download from: • http://www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/demo/index.html • Release 1 of the MDSS Modules is Now Available from the NCAR site: • http://www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/software_release1/index.html

21. MDSS Status and Future Plans • The FHWA will hold a MDSS Field Demonstration in Iowa during • the Winter of 2003 • The Next MDSS Stakeholder Meeting is planned for late June 2003 in • Des Moines/Ames, Iowa • Release 2 of the MDSS Modules will be available in Sept 2003

22. MDSS Contact Information Paul Pisano Team Leader, Road Weather Management email: Paul.Pisano@fhwa.dot.gov phone: 202-366-1301 Henry Lieu Technical Representative, Office of Operations Research and Development email: Henry.Lieu@fhwa.dot.gov phone: 202-493-3273 FHWA Road Weather Management Program Web Page http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.htm NCAR MDSS Web Page http://www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/index.html