Assessing the Social Impacts and Benefits of Weather Information for Transportation Users

1. Assessing the Social Impacts and Benefits of Weather Information for Transportation Users Chris Cluett 3rd National Surface TransportationWeather Symposium July 25, 2007

2. My objectives for this presentation • Understand the human side of transportation weather information • Identify who the users are • Discuss linkages between information, users and impacts • Review selected findings on impacts and benefits • Suggest candidate research topics

3. AwarenessAccessUse / Decision Action / Behavior WeatherInformation Impact / Change Benefit Types of Wx Info Types of users Types of effects A simple social impact model The information user < Barriers and facilitators to achievement of benefits >

4. What aspects of Wx information are likely to be of interest? • What is going to happen? • Type of precipitation • Temperature (air, pavement) • Wind • Visibility • When is it going to happen? • Where will it happen? • How severe will it be? • How long will it last? Wx Information Content Wx Information Channels • Public weather service • Subscription weather service • Medium • Internet • Radio / TV • MDSS • On-site meteorologist • DMS; HAR; 511; Qualcomm • CVO Dispatcher • Wireless; handheld device • Phone

5. Who are the transportation community users of Wx information? • State DOT maintenance crews • TMC operators • Emergency managers • Transit operators • General travelers • Commuters • Elderly • Tourists • Commercial drivers • + others

6. What are some potential social impacts of weather information? • Social impacts include changes experienced by individuals or groups that have meaning or value – positive (a benefit effect) or negative (an undesired effect) • Safety / security / risk (experience and perceptions ) • Personal comfort or stress • Trust and confidence • Change in attitudes, preferences or behavioral norms • Change in behavior (how information is used and behavior in response to use) • Change in organizational culture or function • Individual efficacy (Can I use the information effectively?) • Preparedness • Distribution of benefits (equity)

7. What are some barriers to deriving social benefit from Wx information? • Lack of a champion or leadership to encourage adoption of new ways of using information • A belief that we already know the best ways to do things (Don’t confuse me with new information.) • Lack of awareness of opportunities • Lack of access to new technologies and approaches • Lack of trust in new approaches/technologies • Lack of training or understanding • Policies that are getting in the way • Reluctance to invest in facilitative infrastructure

8. Acceptance and use of weather information is likely to occur gradually • Technology is changing rapidly; individuals and organizations change slowly • Users need time to try out new information, experience the benefits, and accept the results • Experiencing accurate information and beneficial outcomes leads to trust building and buy-in • Need champions to emphasize the benefits and encourage tentative staff use • Early agency adopters can set a good example (encourage the risk takers) • Consider a step-by-step approach

9. Unaware of ATIS Used ATIS, changed trip plans Used ATIS Rarely orneveruse ATIS Use ATISregularly(1+ timesper week) Trips taken withoutusing ATIS Use ATISoccasionally • Most are aware of ATIS • 44% used ATIS regularly • ATIS used for 10% of all trips • Changed plans for 1% of trips Awareness and Use of ATIS in PSRC Representative Household Panel The User The Trip

10. Social factors may be more critical than technical factors for impacts & benefits • Protective data ownership, liability, and firewall issues may hinder information exchange • Cross-jurisdictional interaction may be hindered by conflicting laws and regulations • Strategies for integrating weather into operations are not yet well understood • Address social issues up front, along with the technical issues • Communication and social networking help share experience and find better ways to work with Wx information

11. Enhance awareness of Wx information availability, uses and benefits • Many travelers lack awareness of their transit or DOT agency’s information services – promotion is critical • Understand the tide of rising expectations – continuous improvement is critical • Address the needs of your “market segments” • Wx information bundled with other services may be attractive – willingness to pay issue

12. Strategies for increasing social benefit of weather information • With ATIS, travelers want coverage gaps to be filled • Travelers want dynamic information in their vehicles (en-route information) • What is happening? Why? What are my options? • How can we couple Wx information with dynamic traffic information? • CVOs concerned about Wx and long distance travel • Pre-trip ATIS users are looking 20 minutes ahead. How far ahead is Wx information needed? Spatial and temporal dimensions may be different. • Need ways to educate drivers in how to respond appropriately to Wx information

13. WSDOT Traffic Web Site: Winter 1998 Snow Storm

14. San Antonio Traffic Web Site: Flood 1998 Heavy Rainand Floods

15. Where could research take us from here? • Limited research has been done on the social impacts and benefits of weather information • Social metrics tend to be qualitative and costly to obtain data to measure • Candidate research topics: • Include Wx information more prominently in ATIS research • Develop a classification of the social impacts and benefits of Wx information and their associated metrics. • Assess driver decision making and behavioral response to road weather information (pre-trip versus en-route) • Assess preferred form, content, coverage, timing, and mode for conveying Wx information to different user groups • Conduct case studies of strategies and benefits of customizing Wx information to user groups, needs and circumstances

16. For More Information, Contact: Chris Cluett Battelle Seattle Research Center Cluett@battelle.org