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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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D-1 APPENDIX D MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, CASE STUDY 1 SUMMARY The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) have a long history of cooperatively managing traffic incidents in the Minneapolis metropolitan area, as well as developing and implementing data and communications systems that support such activities as the new co-located Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC). This case study describes the institutional frame- work and initiatives that underpin these activities, as well as the roles and responsibilities of both MnDOT and MSP as they relate to traffic incident management (TIM). Methods of sharing TIM information include the following: • Face-to-Face—MnDOT and MSP are co-located at one facility, and MSP and the Freeway Incident Response Safety Team (FIRST) are co-located at a second facility. • Remote Voice—MSP, FIRST, and MnDOT Mainte- nance all share the same 800-MHz radio system. How- ever, MSP does not allow non–law enforcement agencies access to their talk groups. Only senior MSP and MnDOT Maintenance personnel receive agency-supplied cell phones; however, all FIRST units have agency-supplied cell phones. In addition, there are four operating Trans- portation Operations Communications Centers (TOCCs) on-line with five more planned to serve MnDOT and MSP communication needs throughout Minnesota. • Electronic Text—MSP has smart terminals, which are limited to simple processing and display operations such as blinking and boldface. FIRST is currently using dumb terminals, which have no processing capabilities, but will receive smart terminals by 2004. This will allow FIRST to communicate with MSP. MSP and MnDOT/RTMC are currently using computer-aided dispatching (CAD). • Other Media and Advanced Systems—Freeway elec- tronic sensing data, both active (signage and traffic con- trol) and passive (loop technology); closed-circuit tele- vision (CCTV); and other traffic management systems are used. 2 BACKGROUND 2.1 Minneapolis and St. Paul Regional Area In April 2003, MnDOT began operations of the new co- located RTCM located in Roseville, Minnesota, 7 miles north- east of the city of Minneapolis. The RTMC covers freeway operations, including roadway maintenance, traffic signal con- trol for major arterials, and state police dispatch. There are 23 workstations in the RTMC control room. Six are for freeway operations, eight are for police dispatch, six are for mainte- nance, two are for MnDOT’s Metro Division’s traffic signal control, and one is for traffic radio. 2.2 Acknowledgments The following personnel were interviewed for this case study: • Susan Groth, Traffic Engineering Section, Transportation Management Center (TMC); • Nick Thompson, TMC Operations Manager; • Teresa Hyde, TMC Operations Supervisor; • Todd Fairbanks, TMC Operator; • Clayton Sedesky, TMC Operator; • Captain Michele Tuchner, MSP Communications (state- wide); • Jeff Thorstad, MSP Communications Shift Supervisor; • Tom Peters, TOCC Program Manager; • Roberta Dwyer, Duluth Traffic Engineer; • Captain Clarence Nyland, MSP District Captain; and • Marge Kangas, Radio Communications Supervisor. 3 INTRODUCTION MSP and MnDOT have traditionally approached TIM in a cooperative manner. Effective incident management in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region is further supported by informa- tion sharing at the programmatic and operational levels. 3.1 Institutional Framework Many of MSP and MnDOT’s TIM activities and coordina- tion result from longstanding working relationships between the two agencies. Roles and responsibilities of both agencies as they relate to TIM are detailed below. 3.1.1 MnDOT The first TMC was established in 1972 to provide traffic management services to the Interstate highways within MnDOT Metro Division, which is the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area. The TMC managed traffic using 241 CCTVs with formal guidelines for operations established in

April 1999. In addition, TMC had 65 variable message signs (VMSs), 419 ramp meters, lane control signals, loop detectors, traffic radio (KBEM-FM) and traffic signal management tools. The TMC was superseded by the RTMC in April 2003. 3.1.2 MSP MSP is the state’s operational law enforcement organiza- tion within the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, MSP had adopted an automated CAD system in 2002 that helps to manage the workload of the RTMC system and allows mul- tiple users to access information simultaneously. In addi- tion, MSP has installed mobile data computers in 180 squad cars. These computers allow troopers to enter various infor- mation systems, including the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The computers thus increase trooper security, homeland security, and overall public safety. Working with MnDOT, MSP is working to deploy nine TOCCs throughout greater Minnesota (five operational, four coming on-line). These centers serve as communication hubs for emergency response, maintenance operations, traffic management, and traveler information for the state of Minnesota. 3.1.3 Freeway Incident Response Safety Teams (FIRST) To support traffic management, FIRST (formerly known as Highway Helpers) is a key component of MnDOT’s inci- dent management program. Currently, FIRST covers eight routes and 160 miles of the Twin Cities metro area freeways. The FIRST teams are dispatched by the RTMC using a global positioning system to locate the closest FIRST vehicle to the incident, and that vehicle will respond to the incident and support MSP and emergency responders in traffic control and other duties as needed. FIRST aided more than 14,000 motorists in the RTMC region in 2002. FIRST assistance to stranded motorists includes • Changing the vehicle’s flat tire, • Jump-starting the vehicle, • Refilling the radiator and taping hoses, • Providing a gallon of fuel, • Contacting MSP and/or a tow truck and staying with the motorist until help arrives, and • Pushing the disabled vehicle off the roadway or away from a dangerous location. 3.1.4 RTMC The purpose of the RTMC is to integrate MnDOT’s Metro Maintenance Dispatch; FIRST; the Office of Traffic, Secu- D-2 rity, and Operations; and the Minnesota Department of Pub- lic Safety’s State Patrol Dispatch into a unified communica- tions center. Components of the RTMC include • Surveillance via CCTV and loop detectors, • Ramp meters, • Electronic message signs, • Lane control signals, • A travel information program, • A high-occupancy vehicle system, • An incident management program, and • The FIRST program. 3.2 RTMC Agreements and Formal Programs Primary initiatives that have set the stage for institutional coordination and cooperation between MnDOT and MSP have resulted in enhanced TIM activities through formal agreements covering information sharing. These memoranda of understanding and guidelines formalize the relationships between MnDOT, MSP, and FIRST. From an institutional perspective, the memoranda estab- lish programmatic directions that relate directly to TIM and the sharing of information. Components of the memoranda include the following: • Leveraging information at MnDOT, TMC, and MSP dis- patch centers. • Sharing information needed to facilitate joint operations of highways. These activities may include, but are not limited to, video data terminals/computer-aided dis- patching 911 (VDT/CAD 911) access and user train- ing, real-time traffic flow, collision and weather infor- mation, video surveillance, video road inventories, high-speed data transmission, geospatial data, and inter- change drawings. • Creating a standard for data sharing that includes, but is not limited to, content and formatting, documenta- tion, a meta-database, collection and update methods, accuracy, update cycles, and stewardship. Memoranda of understanding shall be used to document the shar- ing of information, which cover the items addressed in the standards. • Coordinating public information and outreach messages to the community on issues that affect both agencies and their customers. • Communicating timely and accurate information via radio, telephone, television, and Internet to the public regarding traffic and travel conditions. This communi- cation includes travel restrictions and information on incidents that allow the public to make decisions about traveling convenience and safety. • Assisting motorists with service patrols that clear lane- blocking debris, disabled vehicles, and their occupants.

• Coordinating all public and private resources in the effort to respond to incidents and clear incidents as quickly as possible. • Resolving other problems within the ability and scope of MSP and MnDOT. 4 INFORMATION-SHARING METHODS 4.1 What Information and Methods of Sharing Were Considered? To perform at their best, transportation and public safety professionals need accurate and timely information. National security concerns have further highlighted the need for information-sharing capabilities to enhance traffic incident detection, response, and management. And, more often today, such information must be shared across systematic, organi- zational, and jurisdictional boundaries. MTS examined how the following types of traffic incident information were shared: • Detection and Notification—Such information engages public safety resources, enables rapid medical care to save lives and minimize injury consequences, and reduces transportation infrastructure disruption. • Response Information—Traffic conditions, resource location, and incident details speed the delivery of the optimal emergency resources to the scene. • Incident Management—Incident scene status and resource coordination information support emergency responder safety and can hasten incident stabilization, investigation, and clearance. For the purpose of this case study, the results are grouped according to categories of traffic incident information-sharing methods. These methods and some examples are as follows: • Face-to-Face—Personal communication where staff from different agencies share office space (such as joint operations centers or mobile command posts). • Remote Voice—Common options readily available to support operations within most transportation and pub- lic safety agencies, such as telephone, land mobile radio, and facsimile machines. D-3 • Electronic Text—Lower-bandwidth interconnection applications, such as electronic messaging and access to CAD or record management systems. • Other Media and Advanced Systems—Higher- bandwidth options, such as video and other imaging sys- tems, and integrated systems, such as advanced traffic management systems. Current methods of sharing TIM information at the RTMC are summarized in Table 1. 4.2 Information-Sharing Methods in the Minneapolis RTMC Overviews and specific examples of TIM-related informa- tion sharing are identified and described below according to the categories listed in Section 4.1. From a network infrastructure prospective, MnDOT, RTMC, and MSP uses an optical fiber network with a 2.4-Gb backbone with video channels using an OC3 bandwidth; the wireless network is a 2.1-GHz analog service used for pub- lic safety voice communication. The infrastructure has been reviewed by a technical contractor, and plans have been made to ensure adequate capacity. 4.2.1 Face-to-Face MSP and MnDOT are co-located at the RTMC, and MSP and FIRST are co-located at another location. Before MSP and MnDOT were co-located at the RTMC, the only opportunity that the MSP and FIRST team members had to communicate was at the incident scene. The co-location of MSP and FIRST has built positive relationships between the personnel. 4.2.2 Voice Communication (Radio/Cellular) FIRST, MSP, and MnDOT Maintenance all share the same 800-MHz radio system. MSP does not allow non–law enforce- ment agencies access to their talk groups, although MSP has access to all MnDOT talk groups. Only senior MSP and MnDOT Maintenance employees have agency-supplied cell phones, and all FIRST units have agency cell phones. Many lower-level employees use their personal cell phones for offi- cial communications. RTMC has its own dispatchers. RTMC TABLE 1 Overview of TIM information-sharing methods at the RTMC Agency Face-to-Face Remote Voice Electronic Text Other Media and Advanced Systems MnDOT Yes Limited Limited Yes MSP Yes Yes Yes Yes MnDOT/FIRST Limited Limited Limited Limited

and FIRST operate only between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Through a partnership with MnDOT, MSP is deploying TOCCs to operate throughout the state on a 24/7 basis and will share the resources and do the dispatching for MnDOT and FIRST as needed. 4.2.3 Electronic Text MSP has smart terminals in approximately 180 patrol cars, FIRST has dumb terminals in its vehicles and will be getting smart terminals in 2004. The smart terminals will allow FIRST to communicate with MSP and the MnDOT/RTMC, which will give all agencies full access to the CAD system. 4.2.4 Other Media and Advanced Systems MSP provides the following 24/7 services for MnDOT: D-4 • Communications monitoring, • Dispatching, • Road hazard reporting, • Weather updates, • Facility security monitoring traffic and surveillance man- agement, and • System performance management. MnDOT provides the following up-to-date systems for MSP: • CAD, • Mobile data terminals, • Wireless communication infrastructure, • Traffic Surveillance CCTV, • Amber Alert signs, • Center facilities and technology, and • Weather reporting.

Next: Appendix E - Phoenix, Arizona, Case Study »
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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 520: Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management presents lessons learned from around the country on how public safety and transportation agencies share information for managing traffic incidents.

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