Improving OS/OW Corridor Movement

Marygrace Parker I-95 Corridor Coalition

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Today’s Presentation

• I-95 Corridor Coalition:

– Who we are

– What we do

• Challenges facing multi-state/corridor coordination that impact OS/OW movements

• Opportunities for improvements

– Coalition activities that may be leveraged to help states improve OS/OW movements

– Industry Role

3www.i95coalition.org

Who We Are:Multi-Jurisdictional

• 16 States, the District of Columbia• $4.7 trillion economy (41% of US GDP)• 21% of nation’s road miles; 35% of

nation’s VMT• 5.3 billion tons of freight

shipments annually

• 2 Canadian Provinces (Quebec, New Brunswick)

• I-95 Corridor Coalition Established in 1993 to facilitate inter-agency cooperation and coordination

4www.i95coalition.org

Who We Are:Select Roles

• Coordinating and advancing multi-state/modal management and operations

• Training & best practices sharing

• Providing knowledge, planning tools and data to support agency initiatives, investment decisions and work force development

• Enhancing peer-to-peer activities and information exchange

• Serving as a test bed

• Integrating information systems

• Providing long distance travel information

• Monitoring and reporting on related State & Federal programs and legislation

• Assisting agencies in developing and deploying operational decision-making tools that facilitate response

I-95 Corridor Coalition Current Focus Areas

• Intermodal Passenger & Freight Initiatives

• Significant Event Coordination

• Coordinated Operations & Sharing Best Practices

• (Longer Distance) Traveler Information

• System Performance Measurement

• Transportation Financing

• Training

• Climate Change and Adaptation

6www.i95coalition.org

Challenges facing multi-agency/multi-state OS/OW corridor

movements• Geography – perhaps less so in some corridors,

however, in the I-95 Corridor: • So many agencies – many in close proximity

• Stronger likelihood of traveling thru many more states/jurisdictions in a single trip

• Disparate programs, policies, requirements create impacts• Time of day/week travel, varying allowances for weight

and dimensions, escort requirements, etc.

• Disparate and multiple agency information systems• i.e. Permit systems, Traffic Management, “511”

If the Coalition region were

California…

8www.i95coalition.org

Challenges facing multi-agency/multi-state OS/OW corridor

movements• Multiple agencies/jurisdictional issuing authorities mean

there is not a single information source or portal regarding elements that might support a more “seamless” OS/OW trip movement

• Information elements that impact movements may include• Real-time road conditions

• Congestion, weather, incidents• Construction/work zones may create “short term” dimensional

limitations not otherwise noted by/between agencies• Restrictions or closures due to incidents/emergencies

• Emergency declarations• When commenced, restrictions/allowances, when rescinded

Challenges facing OS/OW corridor movements

• Automated permit systems:

– Some Coalition states are fully automated, some partial, several are not automated.

– Underlying legacy systems may not be connected or may be fragmented due to different software

• Bridge and pavement management systems

• Construction/work zone and incident closure status

• Vendor or in-house built systems vary across states/agencies

• Data may be:

– Unavailable, fragmented some assembly required

– limited ability to communicate thru firewalls

– Limited/non-existent “real-time” information sharing 9

Can we surmount the challenges or are we just chasing …

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Yes, if we continue to work together to address them

• To identify the different pieces we need to put together...

• There are efforts out there to leverage and advance…some of which may be outside the “box” we typically look to in this area

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Opportunities to address challenges• Multiple efforts underway at national, regional

and corridor level including:

– AASHTO SCOHT Harmonization Initiatives Phase I & II

– NASTO, SASHTO Harmonization work

– National Pilot Car Certification Effort

– I-95 Corridor Coalition working collaboratively• With member agencies, AASHTO and industry as needed in

harmonization efforts

• To support agencies in sharing best practices/lessons learned

– Conducted NASTO AAR and shared findings

– Bridge and Highway Closure Report

• To advance multi-state coordinated operations and regional travel information particularly for significant events

• Advancing tools to provide agencies with data to support planning and operations individually and collectively 12

NASTO/I-95 Corridor Coalition Hurricane Sandy After Action ReviewExamined issues in state by state oversize/overweight permit process and impact on response/recovery/restoration

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NASTO AAR - Key Take-Aways• Permit Office-Related

– Standardize Legal Language– Examine Emergency Permit Types - “Harmonize” processes across

states and with Federal agencies

• Emergency Operations-Related– Consider key industries with permit requirements and route

limitations• Cranes, Power, Emergency Housing, Fuel, Water/Food, Debris

– Include permit office in planning and day-of-event execution– Provide enhanced information to the heavy-haul industry

• Communication– Coalition Created a “list-serv” for permit offices to exchange

information, communicate events, survey each other

• Project findings led FHWA to amend guidance on “debris”14

Traveler Information

• Enhance traveler information in the corridor for passenger and commercial vehicle drivers

– Facilitate development and deployment of real time, reliable, travel information by assisting states thru

• Information exchange and best practices sharing

• Ability for states to obtain and share reliable and cost-effective data on speed/travel time

– Coalition Vehicle Probe Data Project

• Develop “portals” that link public to individual agency’s travel information along the I-95 Corridor

• Work with states to enhance access to their data for agency to agency sharing and to make data available to travel information developers ( third party entrepreneurs”)

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Commercial Vehicle Operations Information Portal

• Critical to take a “One Stop Shop” look from a commercial vehicle operations perspective

• I-95CC CVO Online Portal provides direct links to Member States’ Commercial Vehicle sites for registration, credentialing, permitting, regulations, and related trucking information

• Working with states to share best practices on “trucker-friendly” agency web-sites and to encourage access to pertinent data for developers (i.e. bridge height/weight info)

• See portal at: http://i95coalition.org/i95/CommercialVehicleOperationsPortal/tabid/127/Default.aspx 16

Significant Events Coordination• Work with states to improve coordination,

communication, cooperation…and consistency

• Assist states in pre-planning for events that have regional/corridor impact

– Planned events - i.e. inauguration, political conventions, sporting events etc.

• Assist states post-events, in conducting after action reviews to identify what worked, what didn’t work, opportunities for improvement

• Develop, enhance tools to assist states in responding to and managing events

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Enhancing Agency Information and Data Sharing

• A variety of information exists within agencies, that, if accessed and shared, could improve coordination and decision making by public agencies

– Providing more timely and reliable assessments of conditions within and beyond their jurisdiction

– Improving coordination and timing of decisions• Issuance of travel restrictions, status of roads (open, closing,

closes) emergency declaration

– Providing the ability to see, share or review data that may assist in making policy and operational decisions

• i.e. time of day, weekend/holiday restrictions19

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I-95CC Collaborative Decision Tool

– Currently under development, the Decision Tool will:

• be internet accessible to all Coalition Member States to assist in regional multi-state communications supporting operational decision-making.

• enable state and local agencies to better coordinate their response to significant events by using the tool to collaborate with one another, share regional status, poll agencies on recommended actions, and document action items to then distribute to other agencies or managers as needed.

– Could serve as a resource for agency OS/OW permit staff coordination during events

• share a real-time view of traffic data, weather data (predictions and real-time radar), evacuation documents, incident, event, and road closure data, etc.

• be able to be used on a region-specific basis at the regional, state, or sub-state level, or a broader basis for numerous states along the Corridor

Regional Integrated Transportation Information Sharing – (corridor) RITIS

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Industry Role in addressingchallenges and opportunities.

• Continue to work to advance harmonization where possible

• Recognize how robust information systems can improve transportation agencies’ abilities to meet user needs, including SC&R members

• Many agencies are operating with older, or in some cases, non-existent, information/data systems; many face severe challenges to update or replace aging or standalone systems

• Assist in drawing attention and support for these agency needs with legislators, budget officials, etc.

• Continue to give industry input to agencies & organizations, like I-95CC, on what is needed, what is/isn’t working

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Questions…Comments…?

Thank You!

Marygrace Parker

Program Coordinator – Freight, Travel Information and Significant Events

I-95 Corridor Coalition

518-852-4083

i95mgp@ttlc.net