Traveler Information In Virginia - Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional

Traveler Information In Virginia

August 15, 2008

Scott Cowherd

Statewide Travel Information Program Manager

Operations and Security Division

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Table of Contents

• 511 History

• 511 Summary

• 511 Virginia Phone System

• 511 Virginia Web Site

• 511 Virginia Changes

• Additional Travel Information Programs

• Marketing

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511 Virginia

Have you seen this sign?

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History of 511Virginia

July 2000-Virginia launched its I-81 regional travel information service under the name Travel Shenandoah, from the West VA border to Lexington, VA

4th State to launch

130 miles of I-81 corridor

1-800 # to call

February 2002-Travel Shenandoah became 511 Virginia

New three-digit phone number

New web address

Expanded service to the entire length of the I-81 corridor, 325 miles.

February 2005 - 511 Virginia launched statewide

August 2007- 511 Virginia Expanded the service

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Why 511 Virginia?

We want you to know what we know so you can make better travel decisions!

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Using 511 Virginia

In-state, dial 511

Out-of-state, dial 1-866-MY511VA (695-1182)

Callers can also transfer to all sister states 511 telephone services

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Information Sources

• VDOT sources

• Virginia State Police

• Local authorities

• Travelers like you

– Reporting directly to VDOT

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Voice activated menu options:

• Highways/Traffic

• Bridges and Tunnels

• Public transportation / Multi-modal

• Weather information

• Other states

Calling 511 Virginia

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The 511 Virginia Phone (IVR) System

August - 2007 Changes

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511 Virginia Additions

• “Traffic” option moved to the front

• New Main Menu item for “Public Transportation and Commuting Options”

• Interruptible option

• 15 Commuter Service Programs (Ridesharing, Commuter Connections and Carpools)

• 16 Metro Areas

• 20 Bridges and Tunnels

• 41 Rest Areas and Welcome Centers

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511 Virginia Additions, Continued

• 330 Roads

• 50+ Public Transportation Providers

• 95 Counties

• 616 Cities and Towns

• E-mail alerts for your personalized travel

• Sub-tier IVR for special events

• Numerous Other Changes

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• More user-friendly system based on user comments.

• Totally rebuilt phone system that:

– Totally redesigned menu

– Adding direct request to “I-81” as an example

– Adding direct access to “Bridge and Tunnel” information

– Allow ownership of code to VDOT

– Increased the roads covered

– Allow porting of system through one hosting facility

– Increase multi-modal content (transit, ferry info)

– Able to offer a sub-tier menu for special events (i.e. Big Walker)

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511 Virginia Web Site

www.511Virginia.org

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• 400 + Web cams

• Information about more than 26,000 points of interest.

• Driving directions with an interactive map displaying delays along travel routes

• Information about statewide events and much more

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511 Virginia Changes

Coming in 2008

• New-look web site with:

– Personalized features

– Sub-tiered web sites for Metro areas

– Increase multi-modal content (transit, ferry info)

– New layout and maps (add screen shots)

– E-mail Alerts (add screen shot)

– My Control Room (add screen shot)

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Summary before the August Launch

Phone System

• Received 3.53 million calls from February 2002 thru May 2007

• A 31% increase in calls from May 2006 to May 2007

• Average call duration is 2 minutes

• Usage trends continued:

– Seasonal travel (mostly summer)

– Weather-related (mostly snow, flooding, T.S. Ernesto)

– Holiday weekends

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Phone SystemAugust Monthly Report

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Overview

• August 2007 was the first month of the second generation statewide 511 Virginia IVR.

• The new system logged a record number of calls for a month – more than 200,000

• The system surpassed one million calls for calendar year 2007 and four million calls since its launch in February 2002

• We are now receiving more than 2 million calls a year!

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Overview, Continued

• Most of the Cities requested were in the Hampton Roads area

• Most of the Counties requested are along I-81

• Specific cities in Hampton Roads and specific bridges / tunnels

• The ability to select a bridge / tunnel via an abbreviated touch tone code (1 *) is very popular

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Requests per menu level

Rest Areas

Main Menu/Traffic

Bridges and Tunnels

Weather

Public Transportation

Planned Construction

Other States

Other Choices

179,850 Requests179,850 Requests

369 Requests369 Requests






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Additional Traveler

Information Projects

and Marketing

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Welcome Centers and Malls

New Monitor Information

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Welcome Centers

NEW LOOK! Fredericksburg Center

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Welcome Centers

NEW LOOK! WB New Kent Center

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Marketing Plan 2008

• Radio

• Transit

• Billboards

• Gas Pump Toppers

• Media (TV stations)

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Marketing Plan 2008

• Mapquest Banner Ads for anyone requesting information for VA

• Yahoo.com for anyone requesting information for VA

• Magazine Advertisements

• Rack Card Brochures

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Signs

Static Message Signs

• 219 Signs

• Adding signs at all Welcome Centers, Interstates and Major Airports

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511 Poster

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AAA and VTC Advertising

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Traveler Information

VaTraffic Upgrade

• Enhanced operational capabilities for managing planned and unplanned events affecting transportation

• Improved incident reporting and analysis capabilities

• Statewide data/incident management integration with the regionalTraffic Management Centers (TMC) and the Transportation Emergency Operations Center (TEOC)

• Accurate and more efficient real time data feeds to the 511 Virginia Service

• A VDOT global database for archiving verified information to support system performance monitoring

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PSAP Integration• 127 Public Safety Announcement Point (PSAP) E911 centers in VA

• Benefits of PSAP Integration – real-time information on all primary and secondary roadways

– provides a central access point for consolidated data

– VDOT traffic camera imagery to all first-responder centers thru Statewide Video Distribution System

• Cost to integrate a center is $100,000-$125,000.

Regional Activity- Five TMC’s

• Eastern Region-15 PSAP Centers, 9 Primary– By June 2008, OSD provided $500,000 to finish the Regional Transportation Incident Management

Information System (RTIMIS) and integrate Norfolk, Newport News and Suffolk centers. The Eastern region is also investing another $400,000-$500,000 to integrate four or five more centers by the end of 2008.

• Southwestern region has identified Roanoke County, Lynchburg, Washington County and Campbell County as primary centers for 2008 integration. Meetings are being scheduled.

• Northwestern region has completed integration with one of the primary centers. Meetings are being scheduled with other centers.

• Northern region is completing the integration with one of their primary centers and will be moving their TMC into a joint operations facility this year. Four more county centers have been identified as primary for 2008.

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Travel Times

Vehicle Probe Data

• VDOT was a partner in writing the RFP, the evaluation process and selecting the contractor through the bid review/selection process for this program. We were part of the evaluation team in March 07, and announced award in December 07.

• Current coverage in Virginia under the core contract has 692 of Highway and 191 miles of arterial coverage:

– I-95/395/495/66/295/64/895/195

– US-1/301/207/234/17/29/10/123

• The data will be available July 1, 2008 through two modes:– A direct feed for state’s to populate information directly into their existing service

– A monitor site to view data on the entire corridor and all other states (restricted to use by DOT only)

• This information received through the feed can be overlaid for use on existing maps.

• States are able to expand their roadway coverage through a task order for $150 to develop and deploy per mile (one time fee) and $750 per mile/per year

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Travel Times

Travel Time Task Force Committee

Held the first meeting in December Reviewed the objective of the committee

• Centralized Coordination

• Knowledge sharing

• Develop a statewide policy, standard and vision

• For this committee to work as a resource for the state

Special presentation by Inrix on the Vehicle Probe Project

Everyone agreed that this is great committee and to continue the effort

Held the second meeting March 11thBrian Smith (UVA) facilitated our meeting

15 people attended from 10:30a.m.-4:00p.m.

Great feedback from all folks on what they are doing in their regions

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Travel Times

UVA Task-Brian Smith

The intent of this task is to develop a statewide strategic plan identifying:

Data Requirements

Data Standards

Baseline data

Refresh Rates

Accuracy Rate

When to disseminate (i.e. 24 hours or peck hours, reoccurring vs. non-reoccurring congestions)

Validation process

Sources of data

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Travel Times

PBS&J Regionalization Strategic Plan Development

Hired to develop a short term and long term strategic plan for statewide Travel Information Program

Identifying best practices from a national perspective

Identifying how to disseminate the travel time data through the 511 website/IVR

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Travel Times

Baseline Recommendations:

Provide Travel Speed information on the 511 service (as soon as possible)

Work with the TMC’s to integrate the Inrix feed into their IM systems at the same time VaTraffic. Therefore, the TMC’s can disseminate this information over their CMS and HAR systems (phase II of VaTraffic in Oct/Nov,08)

Expand the coverage onto other arterial roadways (anytime)

Timeline:

Receive the PBS&J Strategic Plan June, 08

Receive the UVA Strategic Plan June, 08

VDOT develops the statewide vision (obtaining management approval)

Evaluate other regional efforts

Hampton Roads/ NOVA – Traffic.com contract (under contract now)

Larry Caldwell’s sensor expansion (deploying now)

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• Floodgate Message Users Guide

–Developing a consistent policy for satisfying all statewide needs

–Identifying the many uses for a floodgate manual

–Identifying the level of dissemination:

•Statewide

•Metro areas

•Counties

•Cities and towns

•Specific roadways

• HAR Matrix

–Developing and assessment of each regions HAR system

–Evaluating the usefulness vs. new technology advancements

• DMS /CMS Policy

–Updating the current policy to meet the growing needs

–New partnership agreements to support campaigns

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Regionalization

• Traveler Information & 511 Strategic Plan

– Short Term and Long Term Goals

– Identifying how to stay on top of changes in technology

– Identify Specific Regional Needs

– Identifying Specific Statewide Needs

– Identifying How To Implement Travel Times /Speeds in 511

• SOPP (Statewide Systems Operations Program Plan)

– Identifying the current operations throughout VDOT

– Identifying changes to meet the short and long term goals for the agency

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Scott Cowherd

Statewide Travel Information Program Manager

511 Virginia Project Manager

Operations and Security Division

(804) 786-2451

[email protected]

Traveler Information In Virginia - Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional

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