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May 3, 2010
Paul PisanoTeam Leader, Road Weather
ManagementFederal Highway Administration
Road Weather HazardsOFCM Mini-Workshop: “Moving To Incorporate Social Science Results
into Meteorological Operations”
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Conclusions
• Scope & embrace the problem– Include highway crashes with other weather-related
fatalities & injuries– Include economic & environmental impacts
• Develop improved models– High resolution weather forecasts at the surface– Build links to transportation-based observing systems
• Integrate the weather information into other disciplines’ decision support & dissemination systems– Don’t assume that the answer is just a matter of
properly packaging weather information • Expand the dialogue between the decision
maker (e.g., State DOT) and the provider (e.g., WFO)
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Scoping & Embracing the Problem
• Mobility: Cost of congestion is $9.45 billion/yr for the 85 major urban areas (weather causes ~25% of non-recurrent delay on freeways)
• Productivity: Weather-related delay adds $3.4 billion to freight costs annually
• Environment: Chemicals affect watersheds, air quality and infrastructure
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Develop Improved Models
• Timely, accurate and relevant road weather information depends upon high resolution weather forecasts at the surface
• Make better use of road weather observations from fixed sensor stations (e.g., Clarus System)
• Explore the role that mobile observing (i.e., weather and road condition data from vehicles) can play – aka IntelliDriveSM – http://www.its.dot.gov/intellidrive/– http://www.intellidriveusa.org
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Decision Support – Examples
• Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS)• Clarus System & Regional Demonstration
– Seasonal Weight Restriction Decision Support Tool– Non-winter Maintenance & Operations Decision Support
System– Multi-state Control Strategy Tool– Enhanced Road Weather Content for Traveler Advisories
• Integrating Weather Information into Traffic Management Centers– Self-Evaluation and Planning Guide– http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/JPODOCS//REPTS_TE/
14437.htm
• Developing “Weather Message Guidelines”– Objective: Identify ways to disseminate road weather
advisory and control information to travelers in a manner that is understandable, useful and effective
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Expand the dialogue
• Build bridges to raise awareness and educate the key communities (esp. State DOTs & NWS)– “Guidance for NWS Support for State/Local
Departments of Transportation” (June 30, 2009)– Make sure messages are consistent
• http://icyroadsafety.com/nwswarning.shtml
• On-line training courses:– Weather and Road Management
• http://www.meted.ucar.edu/dot/– User Needs to Mitigate Societal Impacts: Road
Weather• http://www.wdtb.noaa.gov/courses/RoadWeather/
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Conclusions – redux
• Scope & embrace the problem– Include highway crashes with other weather-related
fatalities & injuries– Include economic & environmental impacts
• Develop improved models– High resolution weather forecasts at the surface
• Integrate the weather information into other disciplines’ decision support & dissemination systems– Don’t assume that the answer is just a matter of
properly packaging weather information • Expand the dialogue between the decision
maker (e.g., State DOT) and the information provider (e.g., WFO)
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