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Real-Time Traveler Information Systems (2009)

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Suggested Citation:"Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Real-Time Traveler Information Systems. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14258.
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NCHRP NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM SYNTHESIS 399 Real-Time Traveler Information Systems A Synthesis of Highway Practice

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2009 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE* OFFICERS Chair: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley Vice Chair: Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board MEMBERS J. BARRY BARKER, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY ALLEN D. BIEHLER, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg LARRY L. BROWN, SR., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson DEBORAH H. BUTLER, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VA WILLIAM A.V. CLARK, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles DAVID S. EKERN, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond NICHOLAS J. GARBER, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville JEFFREY W. HAMIEL, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN EDWARD A. (NED) HELME, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC WILL KEMPTON, Director, California DOT, Sacramento SUSAN MARTINOVICH, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City DEBRA L. MILLER, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka NEIL J. PEDERSEN, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore PETE K. RAHN, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City SANDRA ROSENBLOOM, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson TRACY L. ROSSER, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR ROSA CLAUSELL ROUNTREE, Consultant, Tyrone, GA STEVE T. SCALZO, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA HENRY G. (GERRY) SCHWARTZ, JR., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin LINDA S. WATSON, CEO, LYNX­Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando STEVE WILLIAMS, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR EX OFFICIO MEMBERS THAD ALLEN (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, President Emeritus and University Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn; Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC JAMES E. CAPONITI, Acting Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT CYNTHIA DOUGLASS, Acting Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S.DOT LEROY GISHI, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC ROSE A. MCMURRY, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT RONALD MEDFORD, Acting Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC LYNNE A. OSMUS, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT JEFFREY F. PANIATI, Acting Deputy Administrator and Executive Director, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT STEVEN K. SMITH, Acting Deputy Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT JO STRANG, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT ROBERT L. VAN ANTWERP (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC MATTHEW WELBES, Executive Director and Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT *Membership as of February 2009.

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP Synthesis 399 Real-Time Traveler Information Systems A Synthesis of Highway Practice Consultant DEAN DEETER Athey Creek Consultants West Linn, Oregon S ubject A reas Highway Operation, Capacity, and Traffic Control, and Safety and Human Performance Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2009 www.TRB.org

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP SYNTHESIS 399 Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Project 20-5 (Topic 39-08) approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administra- ISSN 0547-5570 tors and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and ISBN 978-0-309-09842-7 can best be studied by highway departments individually or in coop- Library of Congress Control No. 2009928789 eration with their state universities and others. However, the accelerat- ing growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. © 2009 Transportation Research Board In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program COPYRIGHT PERMISSION employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their manuscripts on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of used herein. Transportation. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to repro- The Transportation Research Board of the National Research Coun- duce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit pur- cil was requested by the Association to administer the research pro- poses. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the mate- gram because of the Board's recognized objectivity and understanding rial will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMSCA, FTA, of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this or Transit development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropri- possesses avenues of communication and cooperation with federal, ate acknowledgment of the source of any development or reproduced state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objec- tivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists NOTICE in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in a position to use them. The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified Cooperative Highway Research Program conducted by the Transpor- by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments tation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Board's judgment that the program concerned is of national impor- Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State tance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill of the National Research Council. these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or The needs for highway research are many, and the National Coop- implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, erative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical com- to the solution of highway transportation problems of mutual concern mittee, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to Board, the National Research Council, the American Association of complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other highway State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway research programs. Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the tech- nical committee according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Published reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office NOTE: The Transportation Research Board of the National Acad- 500 Fifth Street, NW emies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Adminis- Washington, DC 20001 tration, the American Association of State Highway and Transporta- tion Officials, and the individual states participating in the National and can be ordered through the Internet at: Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Printed in the United States of America

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the ser- vices of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and prog- ress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. The Board's varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

NCHRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT 20-5 COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CHAIR CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs CATHERINE NELSON, Oregon DOT NANDA SRINIVASAN, Senior Program Officer EILEEN DELANEY, Director of Publications MEMBERS KATHLEEN S. AMES, Illinois DOT NCHRP SYNTHESIS STAFF STUART D. ANDERSON, Texas A&M University STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Special CYNTHIA J. BURBANK, PB Americas, Inc. Programs LISA FREESE, Scoot County (MN) Public Works Division JON M. WILLIAMS, Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies MALCOLM T. KERLEY, Virginia DOT GAIL STABA, Senior Program Officer RICHARD D. LAND, California DOT DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer JAMES W. MARCH, Federal Highway Administration DON TIPPMAN, Editor MARK A. MAREK, Texas DOT CHERYL KEITH, Senior Program Assistant JOHN M. MASON, JR., Auburn University ANANTH PRASAD, HNTB Corporation TOPIC PANEL ROBERT L. SACK, New York State DOT TOM BATZ, Transportation Operations Coordinating FRANCINE SHAW-WHITSON, Federal Highway Committee, Jersey City, NJ Administration PETER COSTELLO, INRIX, Orlando, FL LARRY VELASQUEZ, New Mexico DOT RICHARD A. CUNARD, Transportation Research Board TIM HAZLETTE, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet K. LARRY HEAD, University of Arizona DAVID C. LIVELY, California Department of Transportation GALEN McGILL, Oregon Department of Transportation FHWA LIAISON JEAN-YVES POINT-Du-JOUR, Maryland State Highway WILLIAM ZACCAGNINO Administration RAJ S. GHAMAN, Federal Highway Administration (Liaison) BOB RUPERT, FHWA Operations Office of Transportation TRB LIAISON Management (Liaison) STEPHEN F. MAHER DENNIS CANNON, U.S. Access Board (Liaison) Cover Figure: Travel time sign (Brian Kary, Minnesota Department of Transportation).

FOREWORD Highway administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consider- ation may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to highway administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful information and to make it available to the entire highway commu- nity, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials--through the mechanism of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program--authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study, NCHRP Proj- ect 20-5, "Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Problems," searches out and syn- thesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an NCHRP report series, Synthesis of Highway Practice. This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems. PREFACE This synthesis reports on the state of the practice in real-time traveler information systems. By Donna Vlasak Emphasis is placed on the needs and expectations of travelers, the current status of a variety of traveler information systems in the United States, available and emerging data sources, Senior Program Officer and business models for sustaining traveler information. This synthesis will benefit state Transportation DOT transportation managers and others that provide or seek to provide affordable, accu- Research Board rate, timely, and effective information in a format that travelers can use. Four major activities were undertaken in this synthesis effort. A literature review of previous studies, evaluations, and research activities was conducted. In addition, a survey was distributed to 51 unique public agencies operating traveler information systems that achieved a 65% (33/51) response rate. A third major activity performed was to observe and test as many statewide, regional, and local traveler information systems as possible. Observing content and presentation of traveler information systems allowed the consultant to avoid asking extra survey questions and allowed for map presentations to describe types of content nationwide. A fourth major activity involved a number of in-person meetings and telephone discussions with a variety of transportation professionals representing both public and private sector industries with experience in either research, operating, or evalu- ating traveler information systems. Dean Deeter, Athey Creek Consultants, West Linn, Oregon, collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on the preceding page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.

Contents 1 SUMMARY 4 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Project Background and Objectives, 4 Study Methodology, 4 Organization of Synthesis, 5 6 CHAPTER TWO THE HISTORY OF TRAVELER INFORMATION Early Real-Time Traveler Information Approaches, 6 The Internet's Impact on Traveler Information, 6 The Impact of 511 on Traveler Information, 7 8 CHAPTER THREE TRAVELER INFORMATION--NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF TRAVELERS Traveler Information Needs, 8 Expectations of Travelers, 10 Special Considerations for Travelers, 12 Summary of Challenges Facing Accessibility to Traveler Information, 13 17 CHAPTER FOUR CURRENT STATUS OF TRAVELER INFORMATION Summary of the Current Status of Traveler Information, 17 Summary of Traveler Information Use, 18 511 Telephone Traveler Information Systems, 18 Public-Operated Traveler Information Websites, 24 Emerging Technologies and Devices, 32 34 CHAPTER FIVE AVAILABLE AND EMERGING DATA SOURCES Current Use of Data Sources and Additional Data Needs, 34 Summary of Current and Future Weather Data Sources, 35 Traffic Data Availability, 36 Event and Incident Data Availability, 37 40 CHAPTER SIX STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS MODELS FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY Challenges Facing Public-Operated Traveler Information Systems, 40 Examples of Cost-Sharing Business Models, 43 Synthesis of Real-Time Traveler Information Delivery Business Model Best Practices, 45 46 CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSIONS Summary of Challenges, 46 Suggestions for Future Research, 46 49 REFERENCES 50 APPENDIX A SURVEY FORM 62 APPENDIX Bagencies responding to survey

REAL-TIME TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS SUMMARY Travelers who are informed about weather and driving conditions, delays and detours, and other situations that may affect their travel can use the information to make decisions and increase the mobility, safety, and satisfaction of their trip. From the moment travelers wake up and view the weather conditions outside their window until they complete their trip, they are receiving information that will benefit the many decisions they must make regard- ing mode choice, route choice, destination choice, and departure time. Real-time traveler information systems, operated by either public or private sector service providers, have proven to be effective at informing travelers about the circumstances affecting their trips and empowering travelers to reach informed decisions. A variety of traveler information systems exist, including telephone support phone num- bers, Internet dissemination sites, in-vehicle or handheld devices able to receive notices and alerts, and field devices informing travelers while en route. Operations of these trav- eler information dissemination systems may be performed by either public or private agencies. Given this background, the primary purpose of this synthesis is to gather and report on the state of the practice for real-time traveler information delivery, with an emphasis on the following: · The needs and expectations of travelers · The current status of traveler information systems in the United States · Available and emerging data sources · Business models for sustaining traveler information systems. The study conducted within this synthesis project involved four key data collection processes: · An online survey of agencies currently operating traveler information systems · Observations and testing of existing traveler information systems · A literature review of documented surveys, evaluations, and benefit-cost analyses of traveler information systems · Interviews and discussions with industry experts from public and private agencies. The results and conclusions of this synthesis project were influenced in part by each of the 50 U.S. states because each state operates some form of traveler information system that was able to be observed and studied during the project. During the survey, 34 public sector agencies (of the 51 contacted) completed the survey and shared their views on the topics. The report was not limited to any one form of traveler information delivery, but rather it documented the best practices for various traveler information mechanisms. Cur- rently, travelers have a variety of sources from which they can receive traveler information, including the following:

2 · Public-operated 511 phone systems are available free of charge to callers; 42 public- operated 511 phone systems in 33 states offer coverage to 128 million Americans (47% of the population). Public 511 phone systems are available to anyone with access to a telephone. · Public-operated traveler information websites are available free of charge to users. Each of the 50 states offers some form of traveler information website. · Field devices such as Dynamic Message Signs (DMS)--visible to drivers through the windshield and dashboard (which can be considered to include the line of sight vis- ible out the front windshield) at no cost to drivers and without any need for devices. Highway advisory radio is another example of a field device that allows travelers to hear reports from standard AM or FM radios. · Private sector traveler information providers offer web, phone, or special devices (e.g., navigation system or handheld devices) primarily in metropolitan areas; some prod- ucts are now expanded to include rural areas. · Private-operated news and media outlets disseminate traffic, weather, and event infor- mation over radio and television broadcasts with the majority of traffic and event infor- mation describing metropolitan areas. Travelers (as consumers) have certain levels of expectations for traveler information. Simply put, they need quick, simple, safe access to accurate, timely, reliable, route-specific information. The agencies providing traveler information face challenges of their own in attempting to meet the needs of travelers while operating within limited budgets and with available resources. This project identified the following three key challenges that traveler information providers face: · Challenge 1: The use of some aspects of the traveler information that is being delivered is limited. · Challenge 2: A gap exists between what is possible in the state of the art in data col- lection, information generation, and delivery and what occurs in today's state of practice. · Challenge 3: Both public and private traveler information providers face funding and budget challenges. As a result of this synthesis, six suggestions are presented (in no specific order) to the traveler information industry: The first suggestion is that more formal discussions occur between experts in informa- tion accessibility and the traveler information system operators and developers to increase awareness and understanding of best practices and approaches. The results of this projects' survey showed that many public agencies either have been successful at making their trav- eler information systems accessible to all travelers, including those with disabilities, or are working diligently to do so. However, based on feedback and input, it appears that most agencies are unclear about the steps to achieve an accessible system and also have received little feedback from the traveling public. The second suggestion is that a nationwide effort be considered to achieve consistency in the use of icons on traveler information system websites. The results of this projects' obser- vations and surveys showed that there is little consistency in the use of icons and nomencla- ture of event descriptions among traveler information websites. The third suggestion is that the performance measures for 511 phone systems be reconsid- ered to include consideration of the information content delivered per call, the information missing per call, and the travelers' reactions based on the 511 call. Traditionally, call volume statistics have been a major performance measure used to assess the success of 511 phone

3 systems. However, the study suggests that volume of use tells only a small portion about the success and value of the system. The fourth suggestion is that more detailed and focused user feedback surveys be con- ducted to understand the true reactions of travelers. Feedback suggests there are three related and somewhat conflicting issues regarding 511 phone system feedback: · Feedback from transportation professionals who have tested 511 phone systems typi- cally cite many frustrations with the systems and describe both the need for improve- ments and the technical ability to accomplish such improvements. · Contradicting the negative feedback from transportation professionals, the feedback obtained from surveys of 511 users expresses satisfaction with 511 systems and often describes how useful and beneficial the systems are. · With very few exceptions, the usage statistics for 511 do not reinforce the positive feedback expressed by surveyed users; instead, usage spikes at certain times during major events and is very low at other times, suggesting that the value of the system varies greatly depending on the situations facing travelers. The fifth suggestion is that public agencies consider VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technologies to reduce "per minute" phone costs, and that the 511 industry research the feasibility of centralizing (either regionally or nationally) portions of the call-handling processes (while leaving content development and call dialogs to continue to be locally controlled). Such an approach might better meet the peaks in demand, while reducing overall operations costs. The sixth suggestion is to research the apparent "gap" between the availability and use of weather information. Although a great deal of weather information is offered by traveler information systems, the weather reports often are general and do not represent the highly detailed and accurate capabilities of the weather forecasting industries.

4 CHAPTER one INTRODUCTION Project Background And Objectives websites or 511 phone systems, because descriptions of these systems were documented in the observations of existing Public and private sector agencies strive to deliver accurate, systems (described in the following subsection). reliable, and timely information to travelers to empower them to make informed decisions about their daily trips. Because The survey was sent to 51 unique agencies believed to of limited budgets, ever-changing technologies, and an esca- be operating some form of traveler information system. The lating level of expectation from travelers, the agencies per- survey received a total of 34 unique responses, resulting forming traveler information delivery face many challenges. in a 67% response rate. Although the number of respond- Success stories, lessons learned, and best practices that work ers initially appears low, it is important to remember that for one or more agencies can often benefit several other agen- each responder to the survey was asked to answer questions cies with similar problems. on behalf of their agency and their traveler information system. This synthesis report documents the state of practice in real-time traveler information delivery. The second major activity performed within this synthe- sis was to observe and test as many statewide, regional, and local traveler information systems as possible. The intent of Study Methodology observing the content and presentation of traveler informa- tion systems allowed the authors to avoid asking questions This synthesis project was conducted in five major steps. about content in the online survey, and allowed them to cre- ate map displays in this document to describe the various The first major activity in this synthesis project was the types of content offered nationwide. Although efforts were creation, execution, and analysis of an online survey of pub- taken to accurately observe traveler information systems and lic agencies operating traveler information systems. The document the content and presentation styles, the authors results of this survey are presented throughout the report recognize that it is inevitable that some data or information whenever appropriate. may have been missed in the observations. The survey was created to allow responders to complete The third major activity was a literature review of pre- the questions in 10­20 minutes. The survey was adminis- vious studies, evaluations, and research activities. Traveler tered using an online web survey tool and the link to the information systems have been evaluated by a number of survey was distributed individually to contacts in each state federal, state, and locally funded formal evaluations. In or public agency. Recipients of the survey link were asked addition, user benefit analyses and development of intel- to either complete the survey or forward the link to the most ligent transportation system (ITS) architectures have appropriate individual within the agency to provide answers reviewed traveler information systems. A large portion of to the questions. The survey either was sent to only one indi- this synthesis project was a review of these assessments. In vidual from each agency, or if sent to multiple individuals, examining published reports on such things as traveler infor- each individual was informed of the other recipients. The mation needs, user feedback, and documented benefits, con- goal of the survey was to receive feedback from as many siderable information was found, much of which dates back agencies as possible while only receiving one response per to the early 1990s. The authors attempted to synthesize the agency. most relevant and pertinent results of the literature review and have cited the results throughout this report at the most The authors of this project recognized that transporta- appropriate locations. tion professionals receive multiple requests to complete sur- veys. Given time limitations that everyone encounters, the The fourth major activity was a number of in-person approach to this survey was to focus the questions on topics meetings and telephone discussions with a variety of trans- that could not be studied and documented online. Therefore, portation professionals representing both the public and pri- responders were not asked to describe the content of their vate sector industries with experience in one of the following

5 areas: researching, operating, or evaluating traveler infor- interviews conducted as part of this project are presented in mation systems. The experts contacted were: this section. · Dr. Leon Osborne, Regional Weather Information Chapter four presents a synopsis of current traveler infor- Center, Director, University of North Dakota mation delivery throughout the United States. The primary · Bill Legg, State ITS Operations Engineer, Washington emphasis is on 511 phone systems and traveler information State Department of Transportation (DOT) websites; however, field devices, in-vehicle devices, and per- · Ryan Peterson, founder and CEO of TrafficGauge, a sonal mobile devices are also referenced. traffic flow aggregator with consumer products and services Chapter five describes the feedback from the survey of · Terry Haukom, Traffic Management System Design traveler information providers on their use and needs for and Integration Supervisor, Minnesota DOT data sources, then also describes feedback and insight gained · Doug Finlay, founder and CEO of SpeedInfo, a pro- from discussions with traveler information industry experts vider of solar-powered radar traffic speed sensors and through reviews of existing systems. The feedback and insight offered by the industry experts Chapter six presents a synthesis of the business plan chal- is presented throughout the report, whenever appropriate. lenges that public agencies face operating a traveler informa- tion system, together with a summary of several example The final major activity was the assembly of the informa- business plan approaches in use by agencies throughout the tion, analyses of all results, and the development of the syn- United States. thesis report through interactions with the project panel. Chapter seven provides a summary of conclusions reached from completing the syntheses. The conclusion addresses Organization Of Synthesis the following six topic areas: Following this introductory chapter, this synthesis report is · Accessibility of Traveler Information organized as follows: · Display Consistencies · Performance Measures and the Role of 511 Chapter two provides a brief summary of the history of · The Correlation between System Use, User Satisfaction, traveler information, including a description of early traveler and Industry Feedback information approaches. Chapter two also presents a sum- · Ongoing Costs and Business Models mary of the impact of the introduction of the Internet and · The Gap between Weather Information Availability the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designa- and Delivery tion of the three-digit-dial recognition of 511 for traveler information. The results of the survey, the literature review, the web- site and phone system testing, and the personal interviews Chapter three presents the topic of traveler information are not presented separately in individual chapters, but user needs and expectations to build a successful system. A rather are synthesized throughout this report. The report is synthesis of a literature review, an online survey, and agency arranged to present topic areas together.

6 CHAPTER two THE HISTORY OF TRAVELER INFORMATION This section provides a brief summary of the history of trav- by way of commercial television and radio broadcasts, eler information and sets the stage for the remainder of this augmented by a number of changeable message signs and report. Following this brief introduction, the remainder of HARs. the section describes early traveler information approaches. The section then presents a summary of the impact of the introduction of the Internet and the FCC designation of the The Internet's Impact On Traveler Information three-digit-dial recognition of 511 for traveler information. The introduction of the World Wide Web to the general Early Real-Time Traveler Information population in the early to mid-1990s created what could Approaches be considered the first paradigm shift in the field of trav- eler information. The industry recognized that the number Before the 1990s, traveler information dissemination was of computers and offices connected to the Internet would typically limited to existing media outlets, such as television, continue to increase, and the Internet allowed users to cre- radio, and newspaper; and field devices, such as changeable ate cost-effective websites to disseminate information and message signs, message boards, highway advisory radio that (once created) could be viewed by anyone with Internet (HAR), and commercial radio broadcasts. As the ITS indus- access. The Internet affected the traveler information indus- try developed, both pre-trip and en route traveler informa- try in two distinct ways: tion were recognized as effective tools for reaching travelers in both metropolitan and rural areas. However, although · It allowed public agencies to create traveler informa- early attempts to communicate with travelers proved benefi- tion websites that contained large amounts of informa- cial and successful, limited off-the-shelf products or systems tion relevant to travel throughout the state, and that were available to travelers. In several European countries, could be viewed by anyone at any Internet accessible digital data sent in the subcarrier (a separate analog, or dig- location, therefore creating an opportunity to assemble ital signal carried on main radio broadcasts used to carry information at one location with the understanding that additional voice or data content) of radio broadcasts emerged it would be viewed by many travelers. as an effective mechanism to reach in-vehicle receivers with · It allowed private sector information service providers real-time information for display on in-vehicle devices. Sim- to create local, regional, or nationwide traveler infor- ilar technologies were tested in the United States and proved mation systems and to reach travelers nationwide. to be effective; however, commercial products never reached the market. An assortment of telephone systems existed to Public transportation agencies have had experience with provide regional or local travel information. Although the static traffic signs for many years. However, when Internet capabilities existed to disseminate travel information using use grew tremendously in the 1990s, it represented a technol- telephone systems, wide-scale branding of a common phone ogy arena with a tremendous learning curve. The ubiquitous number was lacking, and only a limited set of the population nature of the Internet and the standardization of technolo- knew of the systems. gies and approaches have allowed the transportation indus- try's use and understanding of the Internet to mature quickly The ITS industry recognized and demonstrated the value for the purposes of traveler information dissemination. of reaching travelers in their homes or work places and in their vehicles with information about current and impending Television and radio media outlets now actively dis- conditions, but the lack of an efficient, nationally reproduc- seminate traveler information and are consumers of traveler ible, and market-priced solution prevented personal traveler information provided by the public transportation agencies. information systems from reaching the market, with few In addition, the Internet has been the primary driving factor exceptions. Therefore, from the 1950s to the early 1990s, at accomplishing the amount of "on-demand" information the majority of travel information dissemination occurred now offered to travelers.

7 The Impact Of 511 On Traveler Information tem. AASHTO, in cooperation with APTA, the U.S.DOT, and ITS America created the 511 Deployment Coalition to When the FCC designated the three-digit dialing code of 511 facilitate 511 deployment and allow public agencies to ben- as the national traveler information phone number and com- efit from an open exchange of each others' experiences (U.S. mented that a review of progress would be conducted after Department of Transportation 2001). 5 years to determine whether a national traveler information service was achievable, it began the second largest para- The combination of the designation of a three-digit digm shift in the traveler information industry. In addition, number that can be marketed nationwide, the federal seed shortly after the FCC designation of the 511 dialing code, money, and a national coalition to unite agencies in a com- the U.S.DOT began a program where initial "seed" money mon goal has been successful in launching 511 phone was provided to each state DOT to plan 511 deployment. The systems across the United States. Eight years after the des- combination of these two activities prompted a rapid devel- ignation, 511 is now available to roughly half of the popula- opment of 511 phone systems for traveler information dis- tion (and coverage includes the majority of the land mass semination throughout the United States. of the United States). Much like the Internet, public agencies had a learning curve with regard to the technologies, institutional issues, legal issues, and cost issues that surround a 511 phone sys-

8 CHAPTER THREE TRAVELER INFORMATION--NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF TRAVELERS Understanding the needs of users is a critical initial step in tion so that they may save time, improve safety, avoid traffic building a successful traveler information system. This chap- congestion, and reduce stress. From May 11 through June 8, ter presents the topic of traveler information user needs and 1999, a banner on the Wisconsin DOT traffic website invited expectations. A synthesis of a literature review, an online users to respond to an online survey to help improve the survey, and agency interviews conducted as part of this proj- website. A total of 608 users completed the questionnaire. ect are combined in this chapter. When inclement weather or unplanned incidents or conges- The agencies operating traveler information systems sur- tion occur, virtually every traveler (regardless of their mode or veyed as part of this project were asked how they determined length of trip) benefits from traveler information. The definition their user needs as they developed their traveler informa- of travelers' needs for information is closely tied to the travelers' tion systems. The results of this question are summarized use of the information. Most often, travelers use pre-trip and en in Figure 1. route information for one or more of the following uses: FIGURE 1 Agency feedback on how user needs were assessed. Traveler Information Needs · Time management--for example, changing a depar- ture time to avoid or accommodate delays or inclement weather A large number of formal and informal studies have assessed · Trip modifications--changing the route of travel, the travelers' needs for pre-trip and en route traveler informa- destination, or the mode of travel based on conditions tion over the past 15 years. Travelers need quick, simple, safe or situations access to accurate, timely, reliable, route-specific informa-

9 · Reduction in stress--a well-documented use of trav- In summary, commuters' traveler information needs are eler information is to understand the cause of a delay summarized as follows: or the upcoming road conditions and an estimate of the impact to reduce driver stress. · Route-specific information describing the current travel time or speed of travel In addition to this summary of the needs of travelers, the · Information about specific circumstances affecting literature review of needs assessments and user benefit stud- travel (e.g., incidents, closures, major congestion) ies identified three distinct classifications of users with spe- · Current alerts of transit delays or service interruptions cific traveler information needs, summarized as follows: Interregional Travelers · Employed commuters performing local commute trips · Interregional travelers through both rural and urban Interregional travelers often travel from one metropolitan areas region to another. They may pass through rural or subur- · Rural drivers (commercial or recreational) ban areas; however, their needs are not as extreme as those encountered by travelers in remote rural areas. Interregional Employed Commuters Performing Local Trips travelers may need to understand travel conditions in both the originating region and the destination region. Many times, Typically, employed commuters access traffic reports (Inter- these regions may be located in separate states and therefore net, television, or radio) before departing in the morning. may require travelers to access multiple travel information Certain circumstances such as incidents, unusual congestion, systems operated by different agencies. or reported delays of transit vehicles may cause commuters to adjust their departure time, change their route, or change Continuity of Traveler Information modes. Each commuter is unique in the elasticity of their travel-time restrictions. Some commuters have fixed work Travelers who pass from one metropolitan area into another shift start times and are heavily penalized if they are late by do not recognize jurisdictional borders. To the traveler, he even a few minutes, whereas other commuters have more or she is experiencing one trip and prefers continuous and flexibility in their arrival patterns. However, even commut- consistent travel information. One challenge to continuity ers with flexible start times have some days where critical in traveler information delivery is connectivity. If a traveler meetings, airport departures, or other events mandate strict needs to access two separate phone systems or two indepen- adherence to a schedule. Therefore, commuters need traveler dent traveler information websites, this increases the effort information systems to provide them with the information and time required to obtain the useful information. Many 511 required to make these decisions, either pre-trip or en route. phone systems avoid this problem by offering call-forward- Commuters are typically knowledgeable about their routes ing capabilities on phone systems to link callers directly to and available alternates. the 511 phone system in an adjacent state or agency. Traveler information websites often allow users to click on an arrow The Wisconsin DOT conducted a survey of commuters' or graphic that enables them to connect to the traveler infor- use of travel information. The survey results identified the mation system operated by the adjoining state or agency. following five uses (listed in prioritized order): One example of a more sophisticated and user-friendly · To assess traffic congestion on their routes example of connectivity between jurisdictions is an auto- · To judge the effects of incidents on trips mated exchange of event and incident data between agen- · To decide among alternate routes cies. This allows one traveler information system to offer · To estimate their trip duration information to travelers that describe the conditions reported · To time their trip departures by adjoining agencies. As an example, the North Dakota and Minnesota 511 phone systems and supporting databases are Commuters who use transit (either regularly or occasion- linked together so that callers dialing 511 from within North ally) have a different set of needs for traveler information. Dakota can request information for I-94 and receive reports Real-time transit information is needed to understand delays of incidents and events throughout Minnesota and North in transit routes that might require commuters to select an Dakota. This enables a traveler who is about to embark on alternate route and therefore change their departure time. In a trip through North Dakota and Minnesota--and who may addition, real-time departure information can aid flexibility be familiar with the North Dakota 511 phone system menu and inform riders of their need to leave work at a certain options--to make one phone call and receive a report for time or to stay at the office if routes are running late. Finally, their entire trip. commuters need access to information about exceptions to transit service (e.g., bus stop closures owing to roadwork or In 2007, the eight state DOT agencies from Washington transit schedule changes). State to Wisconsin (commonly referred to as the North/

10 West Passage Pooled Fund) recognized the value of · Travelers have expressed interest in gas and rest stops, interagency information sharing to promote continuity distances to destinations, tourism information, and of interregional travel. In addition to the physical data food locations. exchanges needed, however, they recognized the need for each agency to use consistent phrases with uniform definitions. Using the example of a traveler taking a trip Expectations Of Travelers through North Dakota and Minnesota, assume that one snow storm were to blanket both states with consistent In 1997, a set of 12 focus groups in six jurisdictions (New snowfall across the region. If the conditions in Minnesota York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Los were manually entered as "blizzard conditions," whereas Angeles, and Orange County, California) conducted by the conditions in North Dakota were manually entered as Charles River Associates captured the opinions of drivers "snow" (describing the same event), travelers might falsely about user expectations of critical components of a traveler be led to believe that conditions were worse in Minnesota, information system (Charles River Associates Inc. 1997). when actually they were the same. The opinions of travelers were based on current traveler information practices at the time, which primarily included Travelers expect uniform descriptions of their entire route television and radio. A number of additional surveys since of travel from origin to destination. Interregional travel 1997 have confirmed these opinions. Traveler expectations involving multiple jurisdictions and potentially long travel for traveler information systems include the following: times presents a complicated challenge. · Accuracy Rural Travelers (Commercial or Recreational) · Timeliness · Reliability Rural travel differs from urban and interregional travel in · Convenience (ease of access and speed) several ways: · Safety (of operation) · Although nonrecurring incidents (such as crashes) may Through research conducted by the John A. Volpe Trans- be less frequent, the response and clearance time is portation Center, researchers assessed the expectations of often much greater. Because there are typically fewer drivers with experience using traveler information systems known route options, a crash on a rural route can cause to understand a more detailed set of requirements and expec- extremely long backups until clearance is completed. tations. This research found that experienced travelers seek · The limited services (e.g., food, lodging, emergency the following (Lappin 2000): response) combined with inclement weather creates a more dangerous situation when weather events occur. · Camera views that portray road conditions Unlike metropolitan areas where shelter and services · Detailed information on incidents are nearby, rural travelers can remain stranded for days · Direct measures of speed for each highway segment in extreme conditions that pose serious health risks. · Travel time between user-selected origins and desti · The long range of travel means that travelers often are nations not able to observe the conditions for their entire trip. · Coverage of all major freeways and arterials It is not uncommon for rural travelers to begin trips · En route access to good traffic information in clear conditions and encounter snow or ice within hours of departing. Transit riders and travelers who are seeking information to support their choice of mode, have a separate set of needs In summary, traveler information needs of rural travelers for traveler information. These needs include various types are summarized as follows: of static information (such as bus schedule information, fare information, security information, safety information, · Information about current and short-term future accessibility information, and overall summaries of services weather and road conditions and information about offered). In addition, transit travelers have a set of needs for accidents and other incidents are consistently highest real-time transit information such as updated real-time bus in priority for rural travelers. arrival and departure information and service changes or · The second highest priority is information about outages (e.g., related to a crash or weather event). Finally, planned or unplanned events (incidents or roadwork) regular transit riders seeking information to help reach an that cause lengthy delays. unfamiliar area, or occasional transit users who are search- · Travelers have stated a need for directions to their ing for transit options have a need for transit trip planning destination. services. Transit trip planning services are most often inter- · Travelers have noted the need for travel times and tour- active systems on the Internet that allow users to enter origin ism information. and destination addresses and receive step-by-step direc-

11 tions for using transit to reach the destination (Burks and Travelers' Satisfaction with the Current Systems Waddell 2001). In the survey of agencies currently operating traveler infor- Current Traveler Information Systems Ability to Meet mation systems, agencies were asked whether they believed Travelers' Expectations that travelers were satisfied with the coverage and delivery methods of their traveler information systems (based on In the survey of agencies operating traveler information sys- feedback received from travelers). The results are presented tems conducted within this project, agencies were asked to in Figures 4 and 5. rank how well their individual systems (511 and Web) meet the expectations of travelers in both rural and metro areas. In summary, the majority of negative feedback received The agencies' replies are presented in Figures 2 and 3. about traveler information systems has related to the FIGURE 2 Assessment of how well current 511 systems meet expectations on a scale of 1 to 10. FIGURE 3 Assessment of how well current traveler information websites meet expectations on a scale of 1 to 10.

12 delivery methods. Users have requested additional infor Special Considerations For Travelers mation delivery methods, such as text messaging or push systems, and have cited examples of such technologies as Travelers seeking information about their trip may have spe- voice recognition performing poorly. cial conditions related to permanent disabilities; temporary FIGURE 4 User satisfaction with coverage of information delivery. FIGURE 5 Traveler satisfaction with current information delivery methods.

13 disabilities that remain for days, weeks, or months; or dis- identify and interpret what is being displayed on the com- abilities that occur gradually over time, such as those that puter screen. The interpretation is then presented to the user result from aging. Some of the types of disabilities that most with text-to-speech, sound icons, or Braille output. One chal- often prevent travelers from successfully receiving informa- lenge that is specific to traveler information system websites tion are summarized as follows: is that the use of graphics, maps, pictures, movable text, and other similar features is often used on traveler information · Visual impairments (e.g., blindness, near-sighted, far- websites. For example, maps are often displayed with col- sighted, and color blindness) can prevent a traveler ored segments of roads to indicate whether traffic is moving from accessing travel information when visual displays freely, slowly, or is congested. The display of images such as are used exclusively. maps may not be interpreted properly by screen readers. For · Hearing or speech impairments (including deafness, example, in many circumstances, a map displaying traffic partial hearing loss, and various speech impairments) speeds or transit routes would not be relayed in its entirety can prevent a traveler from successfully accessing travel by a screen reader. Therefore, if the map is the only source information when audible announcements or voice of information dissemination, a user with impaired vision prompts are used to disseminate travel information. would not have access to the information. · Language barriers (e.g., not speaking or reading the English language) can prevent travelers from success- A number of solutions are possible to achieve accessibil- fully accessing written or audible traveler information ity in traveler information websites: presentations. · An optional page with an all-text feature in which the The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, text descriptions of the conditions are provided to web- worldwide, approximately 750 million people have disabili- site visitors in a useful manner would allow the screen ties or special needs. According to the latest U.S. Census, reader to announce the information to the user. approximately 54 million persons with disabilities live in the · Similarly, tags can be appended to graphic images United States (Hunter-Zaworski and Stewart 1999). describing the content of the graphic and allowing screen readers to read the information. The U.S. Access Board is an independent federal agency · Some sites avoid graphic use altogether or provide mir- devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. The ror pages with all text descriptions. Access Board operates a website with a large collection of information and many resources to serve travelers and agen- An all-text display does not necessarily solve the entire cies wishing to build accessible information systems. The problem for visually impaired users. The information may Access Board's website is http://www.access-board.gov/. be accessible (in that the screen reader can interpret the information to the user), but the written reports may be dif- ficult to understand unless the text is descriptive and thor- Summary Of Challenges Facing Accessibility ough. For example, a report of a crash may be shown on a To Traveler Information map such that a visual user of the website sees the location; however, the text description may not describe the location The accessibility of traveler information systems to persons in a useful manner. Guidelines exist for universally designed with disabilities refers both to the individuals' ability to websites to meet the accessibility and usability needs of per- access the information, as well as the need for the informa- sons with disabilities, and they are available on the Access tion to be presented in a manner that is easily understood. Board's website. This section summarizes the challenges related to Inter- Accessibility Challenges Related to Traveler Information net systems, telephone systems, and personal communica- 511 Phone Systems tion devices. Descriptions about additional challenges and resources available to meet these challenges are available at Accessibility to traveler information 511 phone systems by the Access Board's website. persons with either speech or hearing disabilities is an addi- tional challenge. A TTY (teletypewriter or text telephone) Accessibility Challenges Related to Internet-Based device is a text communication terminal that allows people Traveler Information Systems with hearing or speech disabilities to use the telephone. One challenge to using TTY devices to access traveler informa- The primary challenge facing persons with disabilities when tion phone systems is that typically a delay occurs while the accessing Internet websites is for visually impaired users to TTY device displays text to the user or interprets what the access the information presented visually on the website. user has typed in to the device. Often, automated phone sys- One solution to this challenge is the use of screen readers. tems do not work well with delays, and may interpret the Screen readers are software applications that attempt to pause as a hang-up or as a failure to select a menu option.

14 One approach to achieve accessibility of 511 phone sys- · Persons with strong accents may encounter difficulties tems (and the ability to support delays inherent to TTY interacting with 511 phone systems. devices) is to use menu options at the onset of the call invit- ­­ Many 511 phone systems offer touch-tone options ing callers to select an option that indicates they are using a and do not rely on voice recognition. TTY device, therefore activating a menu tree that includes · Persons who do not speak English may have difficulties pauses and delays to wait for the TTY responses. In many reading websites or interacting with phone systems. instances, ordinary instant messages are a convenient substi- ­­ Multilingual traveler information systems are tute for TTY communication. beginning to develop. Currently, a few sites offer traveler information in English and French, and sev- Accessibility Challenges Related to Handheld Devices eral systems offer information in both English and Spanish. Agencies surveyed were asked whether Several states now disseminate traveler information in for- either their 511 phone system or traveler information mats that are compatible to mobile handheld web devices website offered information in multiple languages, [including smart phones, cellular phones, and personal digi- the results are summarized in Figure 6. tal assistants (PDAs)]. The sizes of both the keys and the visual displays offer unique challenges to persons with a Current Accessibility of Existing Systems variety of disabilities. Selecting and pushing small keys is a challenge for users with any form of visual impairment, as Accessibility to information by individuals with disabilities well as for users who lack dexterity in their fingers as a result is covered in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as of such things as injuries or arthritis. amended (29 U.S.C. 794d). Section 508 requires that individ- uals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking Other Accessibility Challenges information or services from a federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that pro- Additional accessibility challenges exist beyond those spe- vided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, cifically defined as disabilities. These challenges and a syn- unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. thesis of options are summarized as follows: As part of the survey conducted for this project, survey · Persons who are color-blind may not be able to inter- responders were asked whether their systems were compli- pret colored maps or icons with similar colors. ant with Section 508 (and were provided a brief explana- ­­ Some traveler information websites avoid color (or tion of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). The use drastic color contrasts) by using patterns to dis- responders' answers to these questions are summarized in tinguish roads or regions. Figures 7 and 8. FIGURE 6 Availability of traveler information in multiple languages.

15 FIGURE 7 511 phone systems compliance with Section 508. FIGURE 8 Traveler information websites compliance with Section 508. Feedback from Users Regarding Accessibility Guidelines for Accessibility of Traveler Information Systems Responders to the survey were asked to describe any feed- back they have received regarding the accessibility of their Research conducted at Oregon State University (OSU) 511 phone and Internet dissemination systems. The respond- regarding ergonomic designs for Internet sites that dissemi- ers' reactions are summarized in Figure 9. nate information is presented as part of a research project

16 titled "Next Frontier in Accessible Traveler Information · Guideline 5: Avoid moving or changing text. Systems" (Hunter-Zaworski and Stewart 1999). The results · Guideline 6: Provide a text transcription or description of the OSU research documented 12 guidelines for Internet for all embedded audio. traveler information systems to maintain accessibility for · Guideline 7: Make text links descriptive but not overly persons with disabilities. These guidelines are reproduced wordy. here, as follows: · Guideline 8: Use non-HTML formats only as alterna- tives to HTML files and not as replacements. · Guideline 1: Every graphic image must have a text · Guideline 9: Provide an alternative to online forms, descriptor. such as a printable form or an e-text version of the · Guideline 2: If "image maps" are used, then an alterna- form. If a form is used, then ensure that it can be navi- tive method of selecting the embedded links must be gated using the Tab key. provided. Only use client-side image maps. · Guideline 10: Test pages in a variety of browsers and · Guideline 3: Include a detailed text description for all on different operating systems. complex images, such as photographs. · Guideline 11: Avoid the use of proprietary HTML. · Guideline 4: Avoid the use of nonstandard text format- · Guideline 12: Avoid the use of Java or Active X in all ting and layout. World Wide Web pages. FIGURE 9 Feedback on accessibilty of traveler information system from individuals with disabilities.

17 CHAPTER FOUR CURRENT STATUS OF TRAVELER INFORMATION This section presents a synopsis of current traveler infor- · Often, common elements of traveler information web- mation delivery throughout the United States. The primary sites delivering information for metropolitan areas emphasis is on 511 phone systems and traveler information include the availability of real-time traffic condition websites; however, field devices, in-vehicle devices, and per- reports offered as travel-time reports, traffic speed sonal mobile devices are also referenced. reports, crash notifications, and views of camera images along heavily traveled highways. Common ele- ments of traveler information websites delivering rural Summary Of The Current Status Of Traveler information include weather, driving conditions, and Information roadwork, incident, or closure reports. In 2009, travelers have a variety of sources for traveler Dynamic Message Signs (DMS ) are visible to drivers information. through the windshield or dashboard (the dashboard can be considered to include the line of sight visible out the front Public-operated 511 phone systems are available free of windshield) at no cost to drivers and without any need for charge to callers. Forty-two public-operated 511 phone sys- devices. Currently, dissemination occurs predominantly on tems in 33 states offer coverage to 128 million Americans freeways. Industry experts believe that DMS use on high (47% of the population). Public 511 phone systems are avail- speed arterials will expand over the coming 10 years. able to anyone with access to a telephone. Based on the find- ings of this synopsis: Private sector traveler information providers offer web, phone, or special devices (e.g., navigation system or hand- · User feedback continues to be positive toward 511 held devices) primarily in metropolitan areas; however, phone systems, and call volumes for the majority of some products are now expanded to include rural areas. systems continue to increase each year. · Incident and event reports (including roadwork, Private-operated news and media outlets disseminate crashes, and road closures) are common among 511 traffic, weather, and event information over radio and televi- phone systems. However, few systems present daily sion broadcasts. The majority of traffic and event informa- details about the impacts of roadwork activities. tion describes metropolitan areas. · Although weather and road condition reports are com- mon to many 511 phone systems, only a limited num- Transit-specific traveler information systems are oper- ber of systems present detailed route-specific weather ated by a variety of public and private service providers. forecasts that are available with today's technologies. Transit traveler information systems range from human-op- erated phone systems to complex vehicle tracking systems Public-operated traveler information system websites are tied to automated phone and Internet delivery systems. One also available free of charge to users. Each of the 50 states example of a geographic area with a comprehensive transit offers some form of traveler information website. Based on traveler information system is the Tri-County Metropolitan the findings of this synopsis: Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met). Tri-Met oper- ates a real-time traveler information system for transit riders. · Many public agencies first deployed traveler informa- The Tri-Met system includes an online transit trip planner tion websites when the majority of Internet users did offering statewide transit trip planning services. Tri-Met not have high-speed connections. Therefore, initial tracks transit vehicles using Automated Vehicle Location mapping technologies often included static map views (AVL) and offers updated arrival and departure times on that lacked sophisticated zoom capabilities. Many both the website and traveler information phone system. agencies are now operating (or in the process of build- These updates allow riders to call a phone number or visit the ing) second- or third-generation Internet display sys- website to view the real-time arrival of their bus. An example tems with increased performance. of a private-operated transit trip planning system is operated

18 by Google. Google offers transit trip planning services in and the website (branded as Tripcheck.com). Figure 10 illus- a large number of cities and metropolitan areas throughout trates annual call volume and website visits from 2004­2007. the United States (e.g., the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area), offering travelers both public and private information dissemination outlets for transit information. 511 Telephone Traveler Information Systems A more detailed description of the needs of transit users On July 21, 2000, the FCC approved the three-digit 511 num- and the real-time information delivery offered by transit ber for traveler information. At that time, a number of state and agencies is available through the results of the TCRP Syn- regional telephone-based traveler information delivery systems thesis 68: Methods of Rider Communication (Schweiger were in operation. Since the designation of 511, deployment of 2006). new telephone traveler information systems has accelerated, and the conversion of existing systems to work using the 511 The use of traveler information systems varies and includes dialing code has expanded as well. As of June 2008, 42 public- peaks of heavy use and times when use is low. Discussions operated 511 phone systems in 33 states offered coverage to with the industry have revealed examples of success stories 128 million Americans (47% of the population). in which travelers were able to access information during major storms to maintain safe and efficient travel, as well as Figure 11 illustrates the current deployment status of 511 stories about times when traveler information systems fell phone systems throughout the United States. short of travelers' expectations. Summary of 511 Call Volumes Many times more traveler information is available to U.S. travelers in 2008 than was available in the early 1990s. None- In the spring of 2008, the total comprehensive number of theless, the technologies available today still present many 511 calls placed to all operational 511 systems in the United options for major improvements to traveler information. States exceeded the 100-million-call threshold for the first time. The call volumes received by the 42 operational sys- tems vary tremendously. Of the 100 million calls received, Summary Of Traveler Information Use more than 20 million were received by the 511 system serv- ing the approximately 7 million residents in the San Fran- The nature of Internet websites and 511 phone systems cisco, California, area. allow for tracking statistics to report system use. Often, agencies can track use patterns to understand when the When the volume of 511 calls is compared with the 128 system is being used, and what information travelers are million residents who have access to 511 throughout the seeking from the system. The 511 Deployment Coalition United States, or compared with an estimated 51 million tracks national call volumes from all active 511 phone sys- households (47% of an estimated 110 million households tems. When tracking website use, there is less consistency nationwide), the 511 call volume statistics appear low in pro- throughout the industry. Some systems track hits, but hits portion to the number of annual trips (planning processes are not always an accurate reference tool. Depending on often estimate five trips per household per day). A review the structure of the website, one page view may generate of user feedback and case studies, however, suggests that multiple hits. Additionally, websites may track page views, 511 systems play a critical role in travel information and that which also may not be an accurate representation of use. travelers find the information useful. Therefore, perhaps this If a site requires users to click several options to reach the role cannot be adequately defined simply by call volumes. on-screen map, the tracking would count each page viewed. An analogy can be drawn to a city park. Local cities spend Yet another web-tracking statistic is a "visit" or "user ses- considerable money on the upkeep and maintenance of city sion." This is most closely related to a number of phone parks and take considerable pride in their parks. Although calls. Each time a user visits a traveler information website parks play a specific role in the community, they are not used (and views one or more pages of information), it would be by everyone. Families with young children (as an example) treated as a "visit." may use the park weekly, although other residents may go years without using the park. Also, many parks are not used The National 511 Deployment Coalition is advancing regularly during winter months. This does not suggest that toward consistent tracking of the use of 511 cobranded web- the parks have a lack of value, but rather that city parks play sites; however, consistent statistics are not available for all one or several roles in the community, serving each resident states at this time. To introduce this section and give readers differently. The 511 call volume statistics suggests that 511 some perspective of the ratio of 511 phone use compared with plays a role in traveler information and that this role cannot traveler information websites use, statistics were tracked by solely be evaluated based on call volume statistics. Instead, Oregon DOT (ODOT) for the use of both the 511 phone system other performance measures are needed.

19 FIGURE 10 Oregon DOT 511 phone and website use statistics (2004­2007). FIGURE 11 Current 511 phone system deployment status (as of February 21, 2008).

20 Geographic Spread of 511 Call Volumes Factors Influencing Call Volumes To present a summary of the volume of calls received to indi- In general, the degree to which consumers use a technology vidual 511 phone systems and illustrate the variations in call application is a combination of the need for the application volumes, Figure 12 presents the total call volumes in the 12 and the level at which the application satisfies that need. It months from April 2007 to March 2008. Systems that were appears that 511 use follows this pattern: not operational for those 12 months or for which statistics are not available are shown as blanks on the map. · San Francisco's 511 system receives far more calls than any other 511 system. The San Francisco system offers Based on the 12-month call volumes shown in Figure 12, a combination of real-time traffic and event informa- several observations appear as follows: tion as well as detailed transit information. The major- ity of phone requests are for traffic information and the · The 511 systems disseminating content needed on a daily majority of website requests are for transit informa- basis receive the highest call volumes. The San Francisco tion (Kuester 2006). The large population base, strong system contains real-time traffic reports (travel times) and tourism market, and geographic limitations on access links to real-time transit information, as well as detailed points to the city (i.e., the San Francisco Bay) create a reports of daily construction activities (all items described definite need for traveler information during each com- in chapter five as lacking in many other 511 systems). mute period. The San Francisco 511 telephone system is · Typically, the states with larger populations, instances marketed throughout the area, including marketing to of inclement winter weather, and mountain passes promote users dialing 511 to access transit information. receive larger call volumes. · The Washington State 511 system received more · A correlation exists between congestion and call vol- than 2 million calls from April, 2007 to April, 2008. umes. San Francisco, Miami, and Seattle typically Approximately 462,000 calls (22% of the annual calls) rank in the 15 most congested cities referenced in the were received in December 2007, a month when consid- "Annual Urban Mobility Report" published by the erable flooding and winter storms occurred throughout Texas Transportation Institute, and the Texas A&M Washington State (National 511 Deployment Coalition University System (http://mobility.tamu.edu/). 2008). FIGURE 12 Total 511 call volumes from April 2007­March 2008.

21 FIGURE 13 Percent increase in call volumes from Summer 2007 to Winter 2008. · The Massachusetts 511 system operated by season. Major metropolitan areas remain relatively unchanged MassHighways is another large call volume system. between seasons, although popular tourist areas or areas where MassHighways has been operating a real-time traveler summer weather patterns pose more challenges than winter information phone number as part of the SmartTraveler risks (e.g., flooding, thunderstorms, hurricanes) experience network since 1993. The MassHighway phone system more calls in the summer months. This pattern of call volumes has received a total of 62 million calls, with recent aver- is best summarized by the statement that while the data assem- ages near 575,000 calls per month. The MassHighways bly and information creation is constant, the demand for real- system uses several sources for traffic information and time traveler information is event (or crisis) driven. offers links to transit information. The detailed con- tent, large population base of the Boston area and lim- Figure 13 illustrates the percent increase in call volumes ited options for routes to key destinations such as the from summer months to winter months. For this illustration, airport and downtown area appear to be contributors to call volumes were summed for the months of June and July the large call volumes (MassHighway 2007). to compute typical summer volumes, and for the months of · The Colorado 511 phone system offers weather and January and February to compute typical winter values. driving condition information statewide, including numerous mountain passes, accessing key mountain The results presented in Figure 13 are not surprising. destinations. Of the nearly 2 million calls received The northern states and mountainous states show the larg- from the April, 2007 to April, 2008, 1,450,000 were est increase in call volumes between summer and winter received in the four months of December through seasons. March (National 511 Deployment Coalition 2008). Synthesis of How 511 Phone Systems Are Used Seasonal variations in 511 call volumes occur throughout the United States. Based on the data, it appears that primarily In addition to purely examining the call volumes, this study rural areas or mountainous areas receive considerably more examined available information about the actual use of 511 511 calls during the winter season than they do in the summer phone systems.

22 In a survey of Montana 511 users (Western Transportation Synthesis of 511 System User Feedback and Institute 2004), survey participants were asked when they Experiences called the 511 phone system. The survey response showed the following: A number of agencies have conducted formal or informal surveys of users' perceptions and experiences with 511 · 68% of responders called 511 before the start of the trip phone systems. The results of these analyses are summa- · 7% called 511 during the trip rized as follows: · 25% called 511 both before and during the trip · In 2004, callers to the San Francisco Bay Area 511 system This suggests that 511 is most often thought of as a source rated the overall satisfaction to be an average of 92.3%. for pre-trip information, and that 511 is less likely to influ- · In a 2003 survey, Montana 511 callers identified satisfac- ence trips already under way. tion with the 511 system to be 90.3%. · In a 2003 survey, 99% of callers to the Virginia 511 ser- The same Montana survey asked responders how they are vice in the I-81 Corridor indicated they would call the most likely to respond if the 511 system informs them of system again. poor travel conditions. The responders indicated they were · In 2005, Arizona 511 customer satisfaction was identified most likely to change the departure times. Responders also as 71%. indicated, however, they were likely to alter their route or · In 2005, Washington 511 customer satisfaction was 68%. cancel their trip based on the information. Comparison of User Satisfaction and Frequency of Use In 2005, 21% of the participants in a Washington State survey noted that they modified their trip based on informa- In the Montana detailed 511 customer survey conducted in tion received from 511 the last time they called the 511 phone 2003, survey responders were asked to rank their satisfaction system. Although 21% may not seem like a large value, it with several components of the 511 system on a scale of 1 represents a considerable change in travel patterns, espe- to 5 (1--not satisfied, 5--very satisfied). The average of all cially considering that the question specifically asked about responses ranked all components of the 511 system at 4 or the last time the responder called 511 (as opposed to ask- above (either satisfied or very satisfied). The highest ranking ing whether they have ever modified their trip based on 511 component of the 511 system was the "Usefulness of the Ser- information) (Washington State Department of Transporta- vice," which received an average score of 4.45. However, the tion 2005). same survey asked those responders who had used 511 how many times they used the system in the past 6 months (from In the same Washington State 511 survey, 87% of January 2003 through June 2003). The number of times each responders indicated that they are likely or very likely to caller used 511 are summarized in Figure 14. use 511 again. Washington State Department of Trans- portation (WSDOT) tracks the caller identification (ID) Summary of 511 System Content of incoming 511 calls. Roughly 50% of incoming calls include a caller ID value and can be used to measure When callers use 511 phone systems, they receive audio whether callers are repeat callers. WSDOT has found that messages or are linked to additional services such as transit typically 55% to 60% of the calls with caller ID are callers or tourism call centers. Therefore, the type of information who make at least two calls per month to 511. Some rural and level of detail that can be relayed to a caller is limited by cellular providers deliver a caller ID related to a cell tower what a caller can understand without any illustrative refer- and therefore the number of repeat callers may appear to ences (as opposed to Internet sites that may convey images, be higher than the actual number. A caller, however, also maps, or other visual displays) and can retain in memory. may call from his home phone, work phone, or cell phone, and therefore the use of caller ID may underestimate repeat Based on a review of the content of operational 511 phone calls. Repeat caller use of the 511 system indicates satisfac- systems, the content of 511 systems typically fits into one of tion and regular use of the system, rather than spontane- the following categories (this categorization of content does ously experimenting with the system. not imply menu options; for example, one menu tree in a 511 system may disseminate traffic and road conditions): Surveys of users of the San Francisco Bay Area 511 (Travel Info) system show that callers are frequently repeat · Reports of events and alerts causing some impact to callers to the system (Metropolitan Transportation Commis- the road sion 2004). About 55% of callers indicated that they altered · Reports of existing current traffic situations their trip in some way based on information received from · Reports of weather or road conditions the 511 system. · Transit information

23 FIGURE 14 Montana survey results on the number of times callers used 511. (January 2003­Summer 2003). 511 Reports of Events and Alerts tative descriptions of the flow along segments of road (e.g., stop-and-go traffic, slow traffic, or free-flowing traffic). The most common information that is disseminated over 511 Also, the Florida DOT (FDOT) operates the My Florida phone systems includes notification of construction, crashes, clo- 511 system, which allows users to establish an account and sures, or other events. 511 phone systems work well to describe predefine up to 10 different routes (profiles). These profiles the route, starting point, and ending point of the event. can be accessed when the user dials 511 to receive real- time traffic information. Although construction and maintenance activities are offered on every 511 system, only a few 511 phone systems Outside of these and a few other example systems, little tested appeared to have detailed construction and main- information has been disseminated on 511 phone systems tenance activities with daily impacts reported (e.g., most about the current traffic flow situation. report general summaries such as "intermittent lane clo- sures from June 1­August 15"). 511 Reports of Weather or Road Conditions 511 Reports of Existing Traffic Situations Reports of weather and road conditions are common on 511 phone systems, particularly in states where severe weather A few 511 phone systems disseminate current traffic con- events occur frequently. The road condition reports are ditions in the form of travel times, speeds, or a qualitative typically either manual entries describing the pavement description of the speed of flow (e.g., "slow traffic" or "free conditions reported by the DOT, or detailed forecasts of con- flowing traffic"). However, the nature of the 511 call cre- ditions based on atmospheric and pavement models. Based ates challenges for dissemination of traffic reports (unlike on survey results, only a few 511 phone systems disseminate Internet websites that are conducive to colored maps to detailed route-specific forecasts of weather conditions. illustrate speeds and travel times). An example of a 511 phone system operating traffic reports is the San Francisco 511 Reports of Transit Information Bay Area 511. Callers to the system may select origin and destination locations and hear travel times. Another exam- Most often, 511 phone systems link to existing transit ple is the Minnesota 511 phone system that presents quali- phone numbers that offer either live operators or recorded

24 essages describing transit services. Some 511 phone sys- m content on traveler information websites is classified into tems present limited transit updates of departure times or four types of content: route exceptions. For example, the Miami, Florida, 511 phone system (http://511southflorida.com) provides sched- · Reports of current traffic conditions ule and route information to 511 callers, as well as rideshar- · Reports of weather or driving conditions ing information. In Portland, Oregon, the Tri-Met public · Reports of current or planned events and incidents transit system (http://www.trimet.org) operates a telephone (including construction, crashes, and special events) system that allows users to enter a transit stop ID and hear · Reports of multimodal options the next planned arrivals at the bus stop. This system serves the same purpose as reader boards or on-screen displays at Reports of Current Traffic Conditions the transit stop, but it is operated at a much lower cost than would be involved to equip each transit stop with reader Through a review of existing online traveler information boards. Additionally, callers may call the system before websites, the most common methods for relaying current leaving their home or office. traffic conditions in metropolitan areas to visitors were found to be as follows: A number of current initiatives are developing real-time transit arrival and departure information as well as tran- · Still or full motion camera images offering views of sit park-and-ride space availability information. Two fed- enough of the metropolitan areas to allow travelers to eral initiatives, the Urban Partnership Agreement and the understand traffic along key routes Integrated Corridor Management (ICM), are advancing · Maps or tabular displays of current conditions, travel increased transit information. speeds, congestion levels, or travel times. To illustrate the coverage of traveler information web- Public-Operated Traveler Information sites displaying current traffic conditions, Figure 15 shows Websites the statewide and regional traveler information systems that utilize camera images and display traffic or travel-time According to the most recent Nielsen Report, more than 75% information. As illustrated in Figure 15, the availability of of Americans have access to the Internet (more than 200 traffic condition information is extensive. million people) (Nielsen 2007). In a survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 64% of Americans Reports of Weather or Driving Conditions with Internet access have used it to access travel informa- tion. In addition, 62% of Americans have accessed weather Through a review of traveler information websites, Internet information on the Internet. The impact of the Internet can displays of weather and driving condition reports were found be seen in homes and offices every day. Simply stated, the to include the following features: Internet allows safe, anonymous, on-demand access to information from a variety of locations. · Displays (map or textual) of current and forecasted atmospheric weather reports generated by regional Unlike 511 phone systems that typically carry a cost per weather tools (e.g., National Weather Service) call (or per minute), Internet sites can support millions of · Displays (map or textual) of detailed weather condi- visits with only marginal cost impacts as the number of tions and forecasts often tied to pavement conditions visits increase. The Internet is a primary player in the dis- generated by detailed models and or measurements semination of traveler information, with some form of travel from weather monitoring stations information offered in every state, although the level of · Camera images (static or full-motion video) that allow detail and type of information varies. visitors to view the conditions of the road and observe ambient conditions at key locations throughout the state. This section summarizes the current status of Internet trav- eler information dissemination. This synthesis project reviewed existing traveler infor- mation websites to identify the level at which the country is Summary of Traveler Information Website Content covered by weather and driving condition reports. Figure 16 illustrates those states currently reporting general weather Traveler information websites disseminate a variety of types reports (typically reported as countywide conditions), as of traveler information. For this synthesis, the information compared with detailed route specific reports.

25 FIGURE 15 Illustration of traveler information websites providing traffic condition reports. Reports of Events and Incidents Summary of Traveler Information Website Display Approaches Accurate and up-to-date reports describing the impacts of construction, crashes, closures, and other events are most Use of On-Screen Map Displays likely the most requested information on traveler informa- tion websites. Although every state includes some form of Traveler information Internet sites most typically display infor- construction and event reports on public websites, the qual- mation through on-screen map displays, and less frequently ity and standardization of these reports varies tremendously. through tabular displays. At the time that public agencies first Some states operate a network of data entry personnel who began deploying Internet sites for traveler information, many are tasked with entering events and situations that impact users were still accessing the Internet over dial-up connec- travelers. These data entry personnel may enter events dur- tions. Therefore, maps requiring the download of large data ing business hours or 24/7 depending on the reporting phi- files took too long to load. For this and other reasons, most pub- losophy of the agency. lic agencies originally deployed simple map displays. In 2008, services such as Google Maps began to mainstream the use of Reports of Multimodal Options zoom-able maps to the point at which users now are demand- ing high-quality maps. Figure 17 illustrates those states where Traveler information website displays of multimodal options public-operated traveler information websites currently oper- typically present transit route and schedule information, ate zoom-able maps, fixed maps (statewide only), and a set of offer transit trip planners, and present real-time information predefined maps offering different views of the state. describing next bus arrivals and departures. TCRP Synthe- sis 68: Methods of Rider Communication (Schweiger 2006) Use of Icons to Describe Events and Incidents summarizes methods that transit agencies use to communi- cate with riders, including websites and traveler information Many traveler information websites display icons over map systems. images to represent the locations of incidents, construction,

26 closures, or other events. The ITS industry has defined In addition to the variations in icons, some states vary in the ITS standards for the nomenclature of event descriptions; phrases used to describe conditions. For example, some states however, accepted standards have not been established for use the phrase "construction" or "road construction," whereas icon displays on traveler information websites. Therefore, other states use the phrase "roadwork." Similarly, some states the icons displayed by states vary across the country. Some use the phrase "accident," whereas others use "crash." The states use icons that closely mirror the sign designations in North/West Passage Pooled Fund program conducted a study the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) that documented the phrases used by the eight member states (FHWA 2003b), whereas other states have created local (Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, icons for on-screen display. South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) and attempted to define an acceptable set of phrases that could be used to con- This synthesis project reviewed traveler information web- sistently describe events throughout each state in the program. sites throughout the United States to document the use of The results of this project are available on the North/West Pas- icons. The results showed little consistency among icon use. sage Pooled Fund website at http://www.nwpassage.info. Although traveler information websites typically include a legend describing the icons and therefore visitors to the site Figure 18 illustrates an example of the issues surrounding are able to understand the images, consistency among icons icon consistency. In addition to the inconsistent use of icons (and therefore the nomenclature of descriptions) would assist used by states to depict roadwork or construction activities, in universal understanding of the information. nomenclature also varies. The color coding of the states illus- FIGURE 16 Traveler information website weather coverage.

27 trates that some states use "roadwork" whereas others use Volumes of statistics can be generated to describe traveler "construction" to describe the activity. information website use. Consistency, however, is a chal- lenge to ensure that the statistics of one site are presenting Summary of Traveler Information Websites Use and User comparable statistics to another. For this reason, nationwide Feedback statistics of traveler information websites are not commonly found or presented in this report. To highlight the large Travelers frequently have continuous connection to the volume of use that occurs during winter storms, Figure 19 Internet while at work, therefore allowing them to acquire illustrates the number of website visits (one visit is recorded pre-trip travel information. Given that approximately 50% regardless of the number of pages or views the visit involves) of Americans have access to high-speed Internet in the recorded by the WSDOT website during the January 27­31, home, travelers frequently have the opportunity to quickly 2008, winter storm. WSDOT does not include camera views sit at a computer and view Internet sites before departing as part of its current traveler information website tracking. on trips. One study used an Internet survey to evaluate customer In a survey of general (noncommercial) travelers in satisfaction with web-based real-time traffic information in rural portions of Washington State, 94% agreed or strongly Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Results showed the following: agreed that the website displaying road weather information better prepared travelers for their trips. Furthermore, more · In Pittsburgh, 68% of users changed their original travel than 50% agreed the information helped them avoid travel routes and 47% changed their original time of travel as delays (FHWA 2004). a result of traveler information received online. FIGURE 17 Summary of zoom capabilities of traveler information website maps.

28 FIGURE 18 Summary of various icons used to report roadwork and construction. FIGURE 19 WSDOT traveler information website daily visits during January 2008 storm.

29 · In Philadelphia, 86% of users changed their original Highway advisory radio (HAR) is another field device travel routes and 66% changed their original time of used to reach large volumes of drivers. HAR broadcasts typ- travel as a result of the traffic information (FHWA ically are received on either AM or FM radios, and travelers 2003a). need only tune to the station to receive the messages. Ideas for Traveler Information Website Improvements Benefits and Drawbacks of Field Devices As part of this synthesis project, public agencies operating Several benefits of field devices are identified as follows: traveler information Internet websites were asked what they are doing (or could do) to improve them. Several written · Every driver passing a sign can view the information comments were received to the online survey. The follow- posted (no need for any device, service, or to tune the ing written comments illustrate the types of improvements radio). planned or being performed to update Internet traveler infor- · Signs can offer information that is geographically spe- mation systems: cific to a location. Unlike 511 phone or web systems, the information providers know where the travelers are · Accident reports are not reported in a timely manner when they view these signs and thus can use such mes- to the website. sages as "1 mile ahead" and can disseminate alternate · First-generation map system is outdated. Next- route information. generation map using Google Map base will greatly · Sign technology is increasing and these signs now often improve user understanding of event locations. offer color and graphics, and therefore can be used to · We need to revamp our website. It's very out of date ... convey messages in user-friendly formats. especially the map capabilities. · The system does report closures and incidents but we also Some potential drawbacks to field devices are as follows: have committed to improving the system by upgrading the mapping software to Google Maps­based system. · Signs and HAR do not support pre-trip travel infor- · Timeliness (particularly with driving conditions) must mation, and therefore travelers are en route when they be improved. read the message and are limited in their response pos- · For the content, format, and coverage that we currently sibilities (i.e., they cannot alter departure time and have have, we are definitely meeting the needs of our custom- limited route diversion options). ers. With the webpage, the one thing that could enhance · Signs and HAR incur installation and operational costs our product delivery is to provide it in a GIS (geographic for each deployment, therefore preventing statewide information system) map format as well as the current operation as is possible with Internet and 511 phone textual format rather than just the textual format. systems. · We hope to integrate various data feeds into an easy- · Signs are limited in the length (and complexity) of the to-use, comprehensive Internet map (with a text option message displayed, given the limited time drivers will for disabled users). see the sign. HAR broadcasts are limited as well but offer a longer period for playing a message. Traveler Information Dissemination Using Field Devices · HAR broadcasts are often thought of as difficult to understand and lack presentation quality. In addition, The images that travelers view most often are those they see they require the driver or passenger to tune the radio on their own dashboard. The dashboard typically consists of a when information is desired and available. speedometer, gas gauge, various engine monitoring and vehicle control devices, gauges, and a radio or entertainment console. In a WSDOT-sponsored survey of commercial vehicle In addition, the dashboard can be considered to include the line operation companies, 57% of respondents said the avail- of sight visible out the front windshield, therefore including ability of the new HAR system made them somewhat or a static and dynamic signs visible through the windshield. lot safer. Of those interviewed during the postdeployment period, 56% indicated they tuned in to one or both of the If you consider a busy urban freeway that experiences HAR stations while traveling in the area, and 51% found the up to 250,000 vehicles per day, that is 250,000 exposures HAR messages useful (FHWA 2004). to travelers of information on a dynamic sign that could be used to relay pertinent details about conditions downstream. Industry Perspective on Use and Future of Field Devices For a state or metropolitan area with tens of signs in use, the ability to reach travelers far exceeds the exposures achieved Through discussions with transportation professionals oper- through a 511 phone system, particularly when you consider ating field devices, the following perspectives are offered that many states average 1,000­2,000 calls per day. about the future of field device use:

30 · DMS deployments will continue to expand. In Detailed information about the ICM initiative and concepts Minnesota, there are currently often 4­6 mile gaps for arterial street real-time traveler information delivery can between DMS signs, and a possibility was identified be found at http://www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm. to increase the density of DMS signs to locate signs every 2 miles. Digital Billboards · The use of dynamic lane management signs (where overhead lane-specific signs are located as close as Since the creation of roadways, billboards along the side of 0.25 mile apart to advise travelers about the use and the road informing travelers of businesses or services ahead status of each lane) is being developed in a number of have existed in some fashion. Typically used for advertis- Urban Partnership Agreements beginning in 2008. ing, billboards are most often located "on-premise" in that · Currently, DMS signs are most often used for travel- they are located on private property adjacent to the right-of- time message dissemination, notices of lane closures way of a highway. The influence of billboards on the traf- or crashes ahead, weather and road condition reports fic flow and the safety of travelers have been controversial in rural areas, Amber Alerts, and construction reports. over the years. In recent years, digital billboards have been Industry professionals indicated that they expect to see introduced to the marketplace. Digital billboards utilize a an increase in the use of DMS for purposes such as combination of dynamic message displays and real-time weather reporting in metro areas, parking, transit, High communications to display messages and graphics that Occupancy Toll availability and prices, and air quality change every 4 to 10 seconds. In addition, the digital bill- reports. The Traffic Management Center (TMC) Pooled boards typically use light-emitting diode (LED) displays and Fund Study completed a project to establish guidelines therefore may appear brighter than traditional illuminated for the policies, procedures, and practices of operat- billboards. However, digital billboard operators are able to ing DMSs. This report is available on the TMC Pooled turn down the brightness at night, reducing the impacts on Fund website at http://tmcpfs.ops.fhwa.dot.gov. travelers. The billboards can receive real-time messages sent · DMS or other field device use is limited along arterials. by the advertising agency operating the billboard and there- The majority of the use is either-- fore have the potential to display notices of Amber Alerts, ­­ High-speed arterials (especially to advise travelers weather conditions, or traffic messages, and could become about conditions on connecting freeways) effective traveler information dissemination devices if pub- ­­ High-density metropolitan areas with consider- lic­private partnerships are formed. able tourism traffic or unfamiliar drivers (e.g., the Anaheim, California, area has operated arterial DMS According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of for approximately 20 years because of the large traf- America, digital billboards account for approximately 700 fic volumes in and around the Disneyland areas). of the roughly 450,000 billboards across the United States. Digital billboards are considerably more expensive than In the Los Angeles County and Orange County areas of traditional billboards, costing approximately $250,000 Southern California, the Regional Integration of Intelligent (Stateline.org 2007). TRB started a subcommittee on digital Transportation Systems has developed a regional architec- signage during 2008. This subcommittee and the participat- ture to support an information exchange in real time between ing partners are exploring the legal, safety, and human factor freeway, traffic, transit, and emergency service agencies, issues surrounding digital billboards. including agencies that operate arterial networks. The U.S.DOT supports the ICM program. The concept behind In-Vehicle and Personal Devices ICM is that freeway networks, arterial networks, and transit networks all have mature technology deployments (includ- During the 1990s, a number of public-funded operational ing real-time traveler information). However, the technolo- tests were conducted of in-vehicle devices. Some examples gies deployed on the three networks are rarely integrated. include the Trilogy project in Minnesota that disseminated The ICM initiative is developing and modeling concepts that data displayed on in-vehicle maps showing traffic speeds include the display of information on arterial streets that on the metropolitan freeways, locations of incidents, and describe the following: whether freeway on-ramps were metered. In a similar Min- nesota effort, the Genesis project deployed handheld devices · Arterial travel time and comparison freeway travel to receive messages sent by the Mn/DOT TMC. times of parallel routes · Incident information provided either ahead on the arte- A similar project in Seattle, Washington, called the Seat- rial or on parallel freeways to give travelers informa- tle Wide-area Information for Travelers (SWIFT) dissemi- tion needed to decide whether to remain on the arterial nated traveler information to three devices: or deviate to the freeway · Other closure or detour information that is needed en · Watches equipped to receive and display the informa- route. tion (pager technology)

31 · Portable computers Traffic.com · In-vehicle navigation devices Traffic.com provides real-time traffic information for 51 Although these and other projects (including the TravTek cities across the United States. Real-time information may project in Orlando, Florida) were successful and user feed- include construction, incidents, events, transit, or roadwork. back was positive, the business model of disseminating a Traffic.com has teamed up with trafficland.com to provide data stream and consumer devices tied to subscription ser- video images for 16 cities across the United States. vices receiving the information did not explode as quickly as was predicted in the early 1990s. Traffic.com includes personalized drive times. Users are provided with the option to enter a starting address With the introduction of the Internet, digital cellular and ending address to calculate drive time. The calcula- phones, and smart phones, the concept of personal traveler tion produces two options, the fastest drive time, and the information devices no longer mandates dedicated devices. drive time for a direct route. The calculation displays the Today, many public agencies operate web-enabled cell average speed as well as indicates any delay in minutes. In phone­specific traffic flow maps that are legible on web- addition to personalized drive times, Traffic.com identifies enabled cellular phones. traffic hotspots for each city. The hotspots have a predeter- mined starting and ending point on major roadways. The ODOT developed information dissemination specifically hotspots provide a jam factor from 0 (clear) to 10 (jammed) for mobile phones. The service (called TripCheck Mobile) to indicate the worst traffic conditions for the section of allows users with web-based phones to request informa- road selected. tion for specific routes and view camera images. TripCheck Mobile has been in service for 9 months and averages BeatTheTraffic.com approximately 40,000 visits per month (with winter months averaging about 70,000 visits). BeatTheTraffic.com is a nationwide service that processes and integrates real-time traveler and weather informa- Privately Operated Information Dissemination Services tion from public and private sources. Traveler and weather information is provided online, through three-dimensional Radio and television media have disseminated traveler infor- television newscasts, and with e-mail and cell phone mation for decades. In the early days, media outlets used aer- alerts. Currently, BeatTheTraffic.com provides traveler and ial surveillance to gather traffic information and presented weather information to more than 70 cities. Each of the 70 information using voice and personality talents. Today, auto- cities includes a separate web page that identifies informa- mated data collected by state DOTs feed media outlets with tion available for that city such as travel times, forecasts, data, to complement their own data collection practices. incidents, or cameras. Since the introduction of the ITS industry, private sec- TrafficLand.com tor information service providers have explored business models for traveler information dissemination. The most TrafficLand.com provides live video from thousands of cam- common revenue sources explored have been advertising eras worldwide from partnering with local, state, and federal revenues and subscription fees. government agencies. The website is intended to assist the driving public, first responders, DOTs, media, commercial Private sector information service providers compete with enterprises, and emergency management by providing real- public traveler information systems, free sources of weather time information nationwide. information, and existing television and radio broadcasts. Therefore, private information service providers typically TrafficGauge.com offer value added services in the form of increased detail (often gained through the collection of additional data using TrafficGauge.com provides real-time information from privately owned sensors) or expanded delivery options. handheld devices, cell phone maps, and online maps. Users can purchase a handheld device that provides real-time The following summaries of a number of private sector information for four cities. Information includes congestion information service providers illustrate the types of services reports for the selected city, such as light, medium, or heavy offered. The selection of service providers does not represent traffic. Users can access color traffic maps on a cell phone, any priority or distinction among providers. This is not an which provides areas of heavy, medium, and light conges- exhaustive list of all providers, but rather a sample of the tion. TrafficGauge.com also provides congestion informa- providers currently operating at the time of this report. tion online for 20 cities across the United States.

32 SigAlert.com required software and hardware to be physically connected by direct communication such as dedicated phone lines SigAlert.com provides personalized traffic reports through- or coaxial cable. As a result, development and operational out all of California, including speed maps in major cities. costs were high, economies of scale were limited in software SigAlert offers speed maps and traffic incident summaries development, and the industry saw a limited reuse of source over the Internet and cellular phones, and sends personalized code. The introduction of the Internet and the ubiquitous traffic reports to various devices, including cellular phones, nature of Internet connectivity have created an environment pagers, and PDAs. in which technology applications can rapidly develop and evolve. Therefore, many emerging technologies have been made possible because of the Internet, including such things Emerging Technologies And Devices as e-mail messages, mobile access to the Internet, Internet accessible event entry systems, and an assortment of traveler Each month, new and innovative technologies reach the information websites offering various options of services. marketplaces that change user behavior. One example was the affordable introduction of cellular telephones in the late Although the rapid increase in Internet use from the time 1980s and early 1990s. The use of the cellular telephone it was introduced to the general public in the early 1990s has increased connectivity and communication of individuals been rapid, Internet connectivity is still a relatively new ser- tremendously. Less than 20 years later, basic cell phones vice. Also, over this time, access to the Internet has changed now are considered outdated and users demand additional from being primarily low bandwidth in the early years to handheld services such as e mail, Internet, and text mes- more recent high-bandwidth connections. It is likely that the saging. The potential for technologies 20 years from now general population's use of the Internet will continue to fluc- is endless. tuate until finally settling into a stable and predictable pat- tern. Indications also suggest that the target market and user The rapid, creative, and commercially lucrative indus- expectations will vary by region throughout the world [e.g., try of emerging technologies offers many options for trav- rural versus urban; northern (winter weather) states versus eler information providers and also several challenges. As southern]. an example, the use of e-mail and text-messaging delivery allows traveler information systems to reach many travelers Digital Cellular Phones as an Enabler using inexpensive devices (saving considerable costs when compared with the costs of long-distance minutes on a land A second technology advancement that has been responsible line phone system). Similarly, the penetration of the Inter- for enabling many emerging products and services is the cov- net offers another low-cost option to reach large numbers of erage of digital cellular phone service throughout the United travelers. Furthermore, the Internet allows travelers to view States. The digital backbone of communications has enabled graphics, such as camera images, providing a view of condi- the use of text messaging, mobile Internet access, and cell tions that simply could not be described on a phone system. phones as probes, and essentially has introduced an afford- able method for delivering mobile traveler information. The From the opposite perspective, rapidly evolving emerg- end products that can be developed are nearly endless. En route ing technologies often create expectations from travelers traveler information delivery can now be accomplished by cre- that public agencies will deliver information to a brand-new ating an e-mail push application that delivers text and e-mail device. As a result, DOTs may be pressured to deploy addi- messages to cellular phones. As recent as 15 years ago, options tional services and bear the costs of such services to respond for en route information delivery were limited and expensive. to the volumes of requests. Accurate and Comprehensive Mapping Databases as Travelers interact daily with a number of end-user applica- Enablers tions that take the form of vendor-specific products and ser- vices. Before describing a sample of the emerging products The third enabler to emerging technologies covered in this and services, this section describes three enablers that have report is the existence of detailed maps and map attributes been instrumental in supporting recent emerging technolo- for the United States. By 2008, travelers were regularly using gies and that will continue to be instrumental in the future. online products such as Google Maps or Mapquest to view turn-by-turn directions to their final destination. Although Internet as an Enabler the applications that deliver these services to the traveling public are impressive, the real enabler to all forms of online The Internet and the ability to create web software that can directions, in-vehicle navigation systems, and personal navi- be accessed instantly by anyone with an Internet connection gation systems is accurate maps and associated attributes. have changed the software industry. Early traveler informa- The existence of these maps has enabled many technologies tion systems (both operational tests and deployments) often and will continue to do so in the future.

33 Emerging Products and Services mate travel times. Early deployments and demonstrations occurred in 2008. In-Vehicle Navigation Systems with Traffic Information The advantages of these and other wireless devices that In-vehicle navigation systems offer travelers on-screen map assist in the reporting of travel times is that the number of displays identifying the position of the vehicle, offer point- these devices is always increasing, and therefore the accu- to-point driving directions, and estimate arrival times. Many racy and geographic coverage of quality reports is increasing navigation systems report the vehicle speed [calculated from as well. a global positioning system (GPS)], altitude, and direction of travel. In addition, the navigation systems available today Even with the emerging travel-time approaches and offer wireless (e.g., Bluetooth) communication capabilities strategies, a considerable gap still exists between the need that allow drivers and passengers to use the navigation sys- for travel times nationwide and the emergence of a clear tem, speakers, and microphone to talk on their Bluetooth- plan of action that would deliver nationwide travel-time equipped cellular telephone. In addition, if text messages are information. received to the phone while the phone is connected to the navigation system, the text messages can scroll across the Personalized Text Message and Support Tools bottom of the navigation screen. Therefore, in-vehicle navi- gation systems offer a tremendous assistance to travelers. If It is estimated that 255 million people subscribe to handheld travelers receive text messages of incidents or alerts from devices such as cell phones, smart phones, pagers, and PDAs. traveler information systems, the in-vehicle navigation sys- Each device offers different applications allowing users to tem is part of the information delivery process. Perhaps the send or receive information. Devices with web browsers pro- largest impact of navigation systems on the traveler infor- vide users with the capability of viewing real-time traveler mation industry centers on the integration with real-time information websites. Washington State, Oregon, and Idaho traffic reports. In-vehicle navigation systems typically can represent examples of three states with websites dedicated be upgraded or configured to receive real-time notifications solely to the mobile web browsers that are found on cellular of traffic, speeds, and incidents and to display these events phones. Also, handheld devices now exist that display full on the navigation map. The data are typically received by Internet sites, allowing travelers access to any traveler infor- wireless FM radio, cellular phone, or Sirius/XM satellite mation website while mobile. broadcasts. Typically, a monthly service charge applies and the real-time traffic reports are available only in a limited Most digital cellular phones allow text messaging. number of cities. Monthly rate plans offer competitive pricing and, as a result, text messaging is commonplace among travelers ranging in Navigation systems are no longer limited to in-vehicle age from elementary school children to the elderly. It is esti- devices. Portable navigation systems may be used outside mated that in the United States 48 billion text messages are vehicles. Most recently, many cellular phones now offer GPS sent monthly, compared with an estimated monthly total of location services and a navigation feature, allowing a cellu- 9.8 billion monthly text messages 2 years ago. The benefits lar phone to perform the services of an in-vehicle navigation of text messaging are that it is low cost, portable, nonintru- device. sive (messages can be sent and responded to when conve- nient), and quick to perform. Some push systems are capable Travel Time Detection Using Wireless Devices of sending traffic and travel messages using text messaging. In addition, some private sector services offer automated Transportation agencies often calculate travel times in metro text-messaging replies (e.g., Google). Anyone can send a areas where speed, volume, or occupancy sensors exist at text message to Google with the flight number of any flight a density that will support accurate calculations. In areas on any airline. The Google automated system will automati- lacking sensors, however, public agencies are challenged cally and immediately reply with the most recent available to produce accurate travel-time estimates. A number of information describing the arrival and departure status of the approaches have been conceived, tested, and implemented flight and the gate at which the flight will arrive or depart. A to detect travel times using wireless devices. For example, similar system is possible for traveler information systems. cellular phones that are continuously transmitting signals Travelers could text an automated service and specify the that identify the telephone offer an opportunity to track the route and segment they are planning to travel, and receive a progression of phones and estimate a travel time. Electronic text reply summarizing the conditions. Text messaging is a toll tags that communicate (actively or passively) with toll major means of communicating. It offers a quick, low-cost readers offer another option for estimating travel times. option for reaching travelers; however, it has the potential to Most recently, new technologies and approaches to track create information overload in that travelers already receive Bluetooth devices in vehicles are emerging that can esti- a large number of text messages.

34 CHAPTER FIVE AVAILABLE AND EMERGING DATA SOURCES Previous sections of this report have summarized traveler Interest in Additional Data Sources information dissemination approaches. However, traveler information dissemination is only possible because of data Twenty-six agencies responded to the question about their collection and information creation to supply the informa- interest in additional data sources as follows: tion. Adequate data sources are critical to deliver accurate and timely traveler information. · Nine agencies indicated they would be open to outside data sources if the data were provided free of charge. This section describes the feedback from the survey of · Nine agencies indicated they would be open to outside traveler information providers on their use and needs for data sources and may consider paying a fee for the data. data sources, and then describes feedback and insight gained · Eight agencies indicated they are not seeking or open from discussions with traveler information industry experts to the concept of outside data sources because their and through reviews of existing systems. current data sources meet their needs. Factors Contributing to Use of Outside Data Sources Current Use Of Data Sources And Additional Data Needs Responders to this study's survey were asked to identify the determining factors in selecting an outside data source (and Accuracy and Timeliness of Information Dissemination were allowed to select as many factors as they wished). The responders indicated that the following factors would deter- The quality and availability of data sources directly impacts mine their acceptance of an outside data source: the accuracy and timeliness of the information presented to travelers. Responders to this survey were asked whether they · Cost (23 of 27 responders) believed customers were satisfied with the accuracy of the · Reliability of data (21 of 27 responders) information disseminated (based on feedback received from · Quality assurance (19 of 27 responders) customers). Figure 20 presents the agencies' understanding · An ongoing commitment that the data will always be of customer satisfaction. available (13 of 27 responders) Current Sources for Traveler Information Comments from Survey Responders on Additional Data Source Needs In this study's survey of public agencies operating traveler information systems, responders were asked to describe Survey responders were asked to comment on additional their sources for traveler information data: data sources they wish they had: · Twenty-four of 26 agencies indicated that data sources · Responder from Mississippi indicated an interest in law are primarily owned and operated by the DOT (e.g., enforcement and emergency services (field information). loop detectors, weather stations, manual entry by · Responder from Montana indicated an interest in an personnel). information feed from the State Patrol. · Ten of 26 agencies indicated that they have some · Responder from North Carolina indicated that they are no-cost data feeds from external sources outside the considering purchasing congestion and flow data from DOT, including National Weather Service weather a third party and will be assessing the cost to purchase reports. the data compared with installing, owning, operating, · Four of 26 agencies indicated they use outside "priced" and maintaining the infrastructure, as well as the accu- data sources that may include a fee for service or barter racy, reliability, and timeliness of the data when reach- arrangements. ing the decision.

35 FIGURE 20 User satisfaction with accuracy and timeliness of information delivery systems. · Responder from the San Francisco Bay Area expressed Many state DOTs own and operate Road/Weather Informa- an interest in sensors that collect volume and occu- tion Systems (RWIS). RWIS are field-automated weather and pancy in addition to travel-time data. pavement condition observations points. Typically, however, · Responders from California indicated an interest in RWIS observations are used by the maintenance operators more flow data, more cameras, more weather stations, and often are not displayed on traveler information maps. and statewide databases shared among the TMCs; as well as additional data along arterial routes and transit The U.S.DOT Clarus Initiative is actively developing a data. central database of weather data to be available to public · Responder from the Eastern Sierra area of California and private information providers. The Clarus initiative will (a rural area) expressed an interest in more cameras, make great strides toward having a universal, quality-con- more HARs, and more vehicle and speed detection. trolled source of weather data throughout the United States. · Responders from California also indicated they may be pursuing outside sources for cellular phone and GPS Detailed route-specific weather and pavement condition roadway traffic data to augment performance monitor- models have been developed and are offered to public agen- ing and therefore improve traveler information. cies. Many states, however, have not yet purchased these · Responder from Chicago indicated an interest in probe detailed weather reports for traveler information dissemina- data for arterial street travel times. tion systems. Therefore, even when Clarus is completed and detailed Summary Of Current And Future Weather weather data are available, it is unclear whether state DOTs Data Sources operating traveler information Internet and 511 phone sys- tems will invest in harvesting the detailed weather reports In describing weather sources, it is important to note the dif- (either from Clarus or from a private sector value-added ser- ference between data and information: vice provider). · Data typically refers to numerical or graphical descrip- One possible explanation is the availability of National tions of weather or road conditions. Weather Service regional weather reports (most often at a · Information refers to messages or descriptions that county level). The availability of this free source of weather describe the data in a format that is understandable and information has made it easy for traveler information systems useful to the recipient. to link to the data or incorporate it into their dissemination

36 system. Therefore, the existence of this high-level weather · State DOT representatives interviewed recognize that, data source may be preventing state DOTs from investing when loop detectors and communication equipment in the purchase of detailed weather and road condition data are functioning properly, they offer accurate represen- that are now offered. tations of traffic volume and occupancy and also can be used to calculate speeds. At any given time, however, Based on interviews with weather industry experts, the data may be missing for locations where detectors or following observations and insights were offered: communications are inoperable. · The accuracy and quality control of real-time weather Nonintrusive Detectors data sources will continue to improve gradually. · Federal initiatives, such as Clarus, will advance the Several approaches to nonintrusive traffic data collection state of the art and increase the availability of weather do not require the installation of data collection equipment data. in the roadway. Some examples of nonintrusive detectors · A disconnect exists between the detailed weather include wireless radar, Doppler radar technologies, toll tag forecasts that are available and the information dis- readers, and license plate readers. seminated by most state DOT Internet and 511 phone systems. · Nonintrusive traffic data collection offers lower cost · Although the weather data sources from observations deployment and operation of data collection, and there- and forecasting models deliver quality data, it is still fore some state DOTs have been able to cover expanded a challenge to present these data to travelers as useful areas for their same budget. As an example, a deploy- information, packaged appropriately for the dissemi- ment of Doppler radar­based devices in North Carolina nation medium. combined with wireless communications and solar power provided coverage of many more miles than the budget would have allowed with loop detectors. Traffic Data Availability · A challenge with some radar-based traffic detectors is that some only detect the speed of vehicles and not Traffic data refers to speed and volume or occupancy data or vehicle traffic counts, which are often needed by state to travel-time data. Generally, the two categories of sources DOTs for other purposes. In the North Carolina exam- for traffic data are as follows: ple, only speed is measured and not traffic volumes. · Toll tag readers provide accurate readings in location · Public traffic data collection and assembly by DOTs where a large number of electronic toll tags are located · Private sector traffic data collection on vehicles. However, the inherent delay caused by the approach of tracking a vehicle as it crosses two loca- Public Sector Traffic Data Collection tions often causes a delay in readings and can nega- tively affect the accuracy of real-time data. Intrusive Detectors Private Sector Traffic Data Sources Loop detectors were one of the first approaches used for traf- fic data collection, and they still offer a highly accurate and A number of private sector companies offer traffic data to pub- effective source for traffic data when they function properly lic agencies. The traffic data offered may consist of real-time and are properly placed and located. travel time, speed, or volume data, or historic data to be used by DOTs for planning and mobility assessments. The sources · Many metropolitan areas operating ramp meters have of traffic data and algorithms for computing travel times and placed loop detectors at 0.5-mile frequency (some even speeds vary and are specific to each product and provider. every 0.25 mile). A network of closely spaced loop However, based on feedback and input from industry experts, detectors provides a solid source of reporting traffic the private sector data collection typically involves a combi- conditions and travel times. nation of feeds from public agencies and data from some form · The largest challenge with loop detectors is the cost of of vehicle-based probes (e.g., long-haul commercial vehicles, deployment and maintenance, especially when consid- local delivery vehicles, or cellular phones). ering the need to close a freeway or arterial to replace or repair a loop detector. A number of state agencies are either testing or using pri- · Based on the costs of maintenance, existing loop detec- vate sector traffic data sources, and over the next few years, tors may be left inoperable if broken and state DOTs evaluation reports will summarize the accuracy, costs, and are increasingly less likely to install as dense a network ultimately business models of public agencies that purchase of loop detectors as they have in the past. data from private providers.

37 The potential benefits of private sector traffic data, and · Manual entry into a statewide or regional condition/ that mobile probes are used to gather the data, offers tremen- event reporting system; or dous opportunities for much wider spread data coverage than · Automated system to system data exchange. what is possible with the current infrastructure of sensors. In addition, many public agencies are challenged by the costs The following sections provide a synthesis of the findings of maintaining and repairing intrusive and nonintrusive traf- related to these two categories. fic detectors, and private traffic data collection could supply this data, if accuracy is proven to be adequate. Manual Event and Incident Entry In summary, for reasons of reducing traffic data collection Manual entry is often performed by selecting predesignated costs and increasing geographic coverage of traffic reports, phrases and location points to ensure standardized descrip- many public agencies are either testing or using private sec- tions of events. The entry of event and incident descriptions tor traffic data. Examples were cited of tests of services from is often performed in a traffic management center or by Inrix and AirSage; however, additional companies and ven- operators statewide using a distributed network of system tures may also develop and offer traffic data. interfaces. Accuracy and timeliness are challenges with manual entry of events. During peak periods, operations staff are busy and are challenged to find time to enter even Event And Incident Data Availability quick entry of event and incident reports. Descriptions of current and planned event and incident One pressing challenge to event and incident entry is data describes such things as road construction or mainte- gathering the knowledge about the event or incident. For nance activities, crashes or other incidents, road or lane clo- example, road construction and maintenance activities are sures, and special events (e.g., parades, running/bicycling an information source that is difficult to maintain accuracy. events) that will affect travel and parking. These events may Often, road construction activities last for long durations and describe either currently active situations or planned events general messages such as "intermittent lane closures from for future dates and times. These descriptions are critical to June to August" are common. Travelers want details about complement current traffic reports and to give travelers an daily activities, and condition reporting systems allow the understanding of the cause and expected duration of traffic entry of this information; however, operators who perform slowdowns. The sources for event and incident data are typi- the entry often do not know the daily plans for specific clo- cally from one of two categories: sures. This is just one example of a challenge with keeping FIGURE 21 Reporting frequency of events and incidents.

38 manual entry of events updated and detailed enough to ben- OnStar operations center (together with the vehicle location efit travelers. and in many instances a description of the crash characteris- tics). A voice connection is automatically established to the In the survey conducted within this project, every respon- vehicle and the OnStar operator speaks with the passengers. If dent indicated they had a manual system for entering con- the OnStar dispatcher determines that emergency services are ditions and event information. Responders were asked how required, they are able to push a button to automatically estab- often events and conditions are entered, and the results are lish a three-way communication with the local Public Safety summarized in Figure 21. Answering Point. At the time this three-way phone connec- tion is established, the data describing the vehicle location, Responders who entered "Other" to the question pre- description, and any available crash statistics is transmitted to sented in Figure 21 were asked to comment. The comments a national data router. These data are received and used by a received are summarized here: number of states, both to support emergency response (as the vehicle location can be plotted on an on-screen map) and to · Varies by season (winter is reported as conditions include in traveler information dissemination. change and are reported from the field personnel and summer is updated weekly or as project info changes). Some of the technical challenges to automated system-to- · Varies; we try for two to three times daily but often system data exchanges are summarized as follows: outstate staff fail to do it. · 24/7/365 in Northern Nevada. So NV calls in to ops · Data consistency. Often, the entry of incidents is done center in Reno to update major/critical events only. using free text entry into CAD systems, and therefore · Several times per day from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. can be a challenge to extract, format, and insert into a (October­April). condition reporting system that supplies data to trav- · October through May: M­F early a.m. Sometimes eler information systems. updated in the afternoon and provided on weekends. · Institutional. Institutional challenges associated with June through September: only report if adverse weather sharing incident data may cause some emergency pro- conditions exist. viders to not share their data. Often, the removal of any personal information and simply reporting the traffic Automated System to System Data Exchanges impacts can reduce these institutional challenges. · Need for verification. As an example, WSDOT has Automated Exchanges of Incident Data a policy that they disseminate information only about events that are verified by DOT staff. Some incident Another popular approach to assemble event and incident reports received from emergency response CAD sys- information is through automated data exchanges with other tems may not have been verified (e.g., a cellular 911 systems. Recently, several federally funded projects have caller may report seeing a vehicle stalled and block- deployed automated systems to exchange incident informa- ing a lane and this may be entered into the CAD sys- tion that is stored in emergency response or law enforcement tem; however, when a responder arrives on the scene, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems with transportation the vehicle has cleared). Because CAD events are not information dissemination systems. These systems help to always verified, WSDOT performs some form of a avoid the need for duplicate entry of events and are based on manual review of the incidents received from external the understanding that the law enforcement or emergency CAD systems, and therefore requires operator input. response agencies enter descriptions of crashes and incidents · Data Sharing. Beyond the institutional issues men- into CAD systems to facilitate response. Rather than ask tioned in the second bullet, data sharing challenges these dispatchers to reenter incident descriptions, automated may include legal challenges that prevent data sharing data exchanges have been developed. Systems that include or technical challenges such as firewall barriers. this automated data exchange have been developed (and are operational) in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Washington State. Automated Exchanges of Construction Data Another successful example of automated data exchanges Another example of possible automated data exchanges is is a relationship established with the OnStar services. Today, construction and maintenance reports. Maintaining current a number of states receive automatic reports from the OnStar and useful construction information with daily updates is service center any time a vehicle has an air-bag deployed and a challenge. With increasing numbers of electronic con- emergency services are notified. The way the system works struction and maintenance planning tools, interfaces can be is that active OnStar-equipped vehicles that are involved in developed to share planned activities with traveler informa- a collision that deploys the airbag send a notification to the tion systems.

39 Survey Input on Automated Data Collection 9. CHP CAD incidents are fed automatically to the Advanced Transportation Management System. Responders to this project's survey were asked to describe any automated data sources for crash and incident data. The Coordinating Information from Several Sources comments received are summarized as follows: As described in this chapter, traveler information systems 1. CAD systems or automated systems are not employed often disseminate information obtained from multiple at this time. sources. This information may describe either different topics (e.g., weather information from one source and trav- 2. OnStar feed provided by the Condition Acquisition el-time information from another source) or the same topic and Reporting System consortium. (e.g., travel-time information from internal to the DOT and travel-time information from an outside service pro- 3. None. vider). Based on the survey of operational traveler infor- mation websites, the most common approach is to present 4. No automation but are working with developer for data obtained from several sources together, taking steps automated CAD entries. to normalize the data as much as possible and present a universal picture of the travel situation. Simply put, trav- 5. CAD is used. Also, the freeway flow map is an indi- elers are not going to understand the various sources of cator of possible trouble when a segment turns red or the data, and the industry-wide approach appears to be to black when normally at that time it is green or yellow. amalgamate the data. So if the colors change then the TMC operators can use the cameras to figure out the cause of the nonstan- The coordination of information topics does raise another dard congestion. issue regarding the normalization of data. As public agen- cies move from first- or second-generation traveler infor- 6. Currently, NC receives data from our State Highway mation systems to later-generation systems, consideration Patrol. should be given to a more formal data and information nor- malization process that begins at the data collection phase. 7. Our operators MANUALLY enter incident informa- The accuracy, precision, recording procedures, and time tion from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) CAD. frame for which the data are valid can all be normalized. The result will be a situation that more accurately compares 8. CHP CAD. We are seeking to build a "TMC Activ- "apples to apples" and presents more unified information to ity Log" and to gain statewide use of "lane closure the travelers. reporting system."

40 CHAPTER SIX STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS MODELS FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY Beginning with the ITS Traveler Information Operational Challenges Facing Public-Operated Traveler Tests in the early 1990s, there have been attempts to gener- Information Systems ate self-sustaining traveler information systems that would either generate enough revenue to cover the public sector Responders to this study's survey were asked to identify operating costs or allow private companies to recoup costs challenges they face in maintaining and delivering traveler through advertising and subscription services to relieve the information (and were allowed to select as many as appropriate). financial burden on the public sector. Projects such as Tril- Figure 22 illustrates the responders' input on challenges faced. ogy, Genesis, and SWIFT all involved private sector part- ners seeking to establish a role in ongoing operations. In addition to selecting the survey options, the respond- ers added the following comments further describing their In summary, any effective business model needs ade- challenges: quate funding to perform the needed operations, and to per- form system enhancements and modifications as needed to · One responder noted the challenges of keeping up with continue to serve the users' needs. This section presents a technology changes (and costs involved to continu- synthesis of the business plan challenges that public agencies ously update systems); and face operating a traveler information system, together with a · Another responder noted a shortage of in-house staff as summary of business plan approaches. required to continue to add components to the system. FIGURE 22 Challenges facing traveler information operations.

41 Access to Information Challenges Facing Traveler and therefore suggests that travelers' expectation of website Information Service Providers availability is as high as their use of the site. A large portion of the population now regularly uses the Internet The reliability of the 511 phone system is critical and and cellular phones. However, the accessibility and quality of redundancies are built into the ODOT 511 phone system to connections still varies, particularly from rural to urban areas. ensure continuous operation. However, even when inclement Based on feedback from surveyed agencies and industry par- weather has caused the maximum number of phone ports to ticipants, the following are examples of the accessibility chal- be in use and additional callers receive busy signals (which lenges to both the phone and web information dissemination: happens only rarely), travelers have not provided consid- erable negative feedback. This suggests that travelers can · Cell phone coverage and quality of service. Traveler understand phone lines being busy and are more accepting of information phone systems offering voice recognition it than they would be of malfunctioning websites, as long as services can function only as well as the phone connec- receiving a busy signal is an infrequent occurrence. ODOT tion. The potential for cellular phone access to traveler further clarified that they believe that, if travelers received information systems to gain information about condi- busy signals more often, they would not be as accepting. tions in rural areas will be challenged by the rural cel- ODOT is taking steps in their next-generation system to lular phone coverage for some time. reduce or possibly eliminate busy signals. · Internet speed and mapping functions. Internet users have become accustomed to high-quality, online map- Reliability (accuracy) of the information presented to ping products because of the free access offered by travelers is another related challenge. This issue is further mapping systems such as Google Maps and Mapquest. complicated by the interpretation of information. For exam- However, without high-bandwidth Internet connec- ple, a snow-plow driver may report a road as having "patches tions, the sophisticated maps can be slow to load. This of ice," the information delivery system could accurately presents a dilemma to agencies operating traveler report this manual description of the conditions, and travel- information systems. If they solely offer a service that ers still may understand "patches of ice" to mean something requires high bandwidth access, it is not available to different than an experienced plow operator. The detailed all travelers. One approach used by some agencies is review and discussion about data accuracy and precision was to offer both a high-bandwidth and a low-bandwidth not included in this study. site; however, this requires multiple systems and forces travelers to select an approach. Budget Challenges Facing Traveler Information Service Providers Reliability Challenges Facing Traveler Information Service Providers Defining the budget and costs to operate a traveler informa- tion delivery system can be interpreted many different ways. For purposes of this report, the reliability of a system refers For example, the data collection typically involves a num- to the frequency of which the system is operational and ber of field devices (such as loop detectors) used for other available. Reliability failures would include times when a purposes. In addition, operations staff time is often used to website cannot be accessed by travelers and/or portions of enter incident or event descriptions and typically internal the website or links from the site are not available, as well staff time is shared among many activities. Therefore, cap- as times when the phone system either is not operational or turing the true costs of information dissemination is open to provides callers with busy signals. interpretation. The survey conducted in this study showed that agencies However, responders to this study's survey were asked to operating traveler information systems were as concerned select the category that best describes their annual budget for about reliability as they were with the timeliness and accu- the operations of traveler information delivery. As Figure 23 racy of the data, and were more concerned about reliability suggests, the majority of agencies responding to this survey than the ease of use of the systems. operate with a budget of $250,000 or less, and only a small number of systems have budgets that exceed $500,000. Specific feedback from the ODOT suggests that reliability and operational "up-time" of the traveler information web- Trends in Operations Budgets site is a critical requirement of their system. Any upgrades to servers or software related to the traveler information web- Another critical consideration to a business plan is the bud- sites is performed during overnight hours when no inclement getary trends. Each year, new technologies emerge and cov- weather is planned. Also, redundancy is built into the web- erage of traveler information systems increases. This study site. During the very rare outages of the traveler informa- believed it was necessary to understand the trend in opera- tion website, feedback from travelers is almost immediate tions budgets each year. Responders to this study's survey

42 were asked to describe the trend in their annual operations Technology Challenges and Opportunities Facing budget for delivering traveler information. As Figure 24 Public Agencies indicates, the majority of agencies' budgets either remains the same or decreases each year, with only 4 of the 25 agen- As indicated in Figure 24, public agencies believe that cies indicating their budget increases each year. challenges remain in the sophisticated technologies used FIGURE 23 Summary of annual operations budget for traveler information delivery (Sample size = 22). FIGURE 24 Survey results describing trends in operating budget (Sample size = 25).

43 to deliver traveler information. However, responders indi- challenge, especially considering inclement weather. cated that a larger challenge is funding to purchase or deploy However, because field devices are often used for other existing technologies. Also, based on the comments added purposes beyond traveler information (e.g., loop detec- by responders, public agencies are challenged by rapidly tors are also used for ramp meter control and long-term changing technologies and the need to "keep up" with new data collection for planning purposes), the maintenance trends. costs are often shared or deferred by other projects. · Maintenance of the traveler information system Technologies used for 511 phone systems to answer calls hardware and software. This includes the hardware automatically, support voice recognition, and deliver infor- and software that collectively operate the information mation using a quality voice product require considerable assembly and dissemination portions of the system. costs, in addition to the telecommunications charges of long Warranties on hardware and "off-the-shelf" products distance and phone port use. often help defer these costs. However, regular mainte- nance and replacement of equipment is necessary. One Part of the problem posed by technology changes is the challenge is the availability of funding to build sys- traveling public's interest and demand for services that match tems compared with the common lack of funding for their latest technologies. According to the Pew Internet and ongoing maintenance. Some agencies find it is easier to American Life Project (2008): acquire funds during the design and build phase of the project (e.g., more sources of funding can be used for · 58% of adult Americans have used a cell phone or PDA building systems than for maintaining systems). to do at least one of ten mobile nonvoice data activities, · Maintaining the systems at the current state of the such as texting, e-mailing, taking a picture, looking for art. One aspect regarding traveler information main- maps or directions, or recording video. tenance is the need for periodic updates to the systems · 41% of adult Americans have logged onto the Internet as travelers' expectations change based on the state-of- as they travel--that is, while away from home or work the-art practices. For example, as travelers have grown with either a wireless laptop connection or a handheld accustomed to high-quality full-zoom maps, they now device. expect such enhancements on traveler information system map displays. Similarly, as the number of web- With a population that is increasingly comfortable with enabled mobile devices has increased, travelers now accessing data "on the go," it is not surprising that the demand access from mobile devices. Another form of demand for mobile and personalized access to traveler infor- maintenance is the need to maintain compatibility with mation is increasing. current Internet browsers and related Internet software. For example, a new version of Java software may cause With advances in technology, there are also benefits to older web systems to malfunction with newer versions public agencies operating traveler information systems. In of browsers. Therefore, even the most well-designed recent years, a number of systems have migrated to the use traveler information system should plan for periodic of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies for han- upgrades and enhancements as part of the maintenance dling 511 phone costs. Feedback from systems administra- of the system. tors in California alone has suggested annual savings of 511 · Maintenance of manual data entry and reporting. call costs of several hundred thousand dollars each year. Finally, maintenance of traveler information systems must include regular maintenance of the reporting In addition, information dissemination (both Internet and procedures and training aspects that result in the data 511 phone delivery) reduce the manual operations that pre- being entered properly into the entry systems. Without viously were required to answer and respond to calls from regular review of these agreements, even properly travelers. functioning hardware and software will no longer pro- duce quality information delivery, if the manual data System Maintenance Challenges Facing Public entry is no longer adequate. Agencies The maintenance and upkeep of traveler information sys- Examples Of Cost-Sharing Business Models tems is another challenge facing information providers. Maintenance of traveler information systems can be catego- This study has identified several examples of business mod- rized as follows: els that either are being attempted or are successfully in operation. These examples were selected to present some · Maintenance of field devices (e.g., data collection examples of different business model approaches and are not devices). Maintenance of any device in the field is a an exhaustive list of business models.

44 Jacksonville, Florida, Traveler Information Business Based on discussions with ODOT, the relationship is Model beneficial. The system generates approximately $15,000 per year in revenue to ODOT (approximately 20% to 25% of FDOT operates a traveler information system in and around the gross revenue generated by advertising sales for Trip- the Jacksonville, Florida, area. The business model for the Check spots) to help offset some portion of the TripCheck traveler information system is based on a public coalition operating costs. The placement of the traveler services is of local agencies that includes FDOT, the local law enforce- on a portion of the TripCheck site called Travel Services. ment, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Met- Users who select Travel Services view a map with icons ropolitan Planning Organization, and the local city traffic allowing them to click metropolitan areas and view details engineer's office. Currently, the systems interconnect to of services offered by paying supporters. Therefore, it is not the extent possible; therefore, all agencies are aware of the banner advertising, but rather geographic representations of activities and operations of the other agencies. The coali- services for travelers, who may then access details about the tion is in the process of designing a new facility that will hotel, restaurant, or gas station. house law enforcement, transit, the city of Jacksonville traffic office, and emergency (fire and rescue) response, ODOT estimates that the number of website visitors access- and that will be interconnected with the Jacksonville air- ing the Travel Services averages about 14,400 visits per month, port authority. with the maximum monthly visits being in January (43,000 visits in January 2008) and the minimum monthly visits being The business model for traveler information is based on in April (7,000 visits in April 2008) (McGill 2008). assembly of all information to one location and the operation of one central traveler information system. Traveler informa- A challenge to this business model is that the information tion 511 systems (phone and web) are used to disseminate available in the Travel Services portion of TripCheck is lim- information such as traffic speeds, incidents, airport infor- ited to the number of businesses who are paying customers. mation, transit information, construction, and congestion. Therefore, the site does not offer as comprehensive a set of At this time, the coalition is not seeking any form of rev- travel services as other private sites would offer. The benefits enue generation for traveler information services; however, of this business model is that ODOT does not have to per- the economies of scale of centralizing all information has form any advertising sales or customer relations and account allowed them to operate a successful traveler information collections, because all account relations are performed by system. The variety of information has helped them estab- the Oregon TIC in a role they were already performing for lish a good relationship with the media, including consider- the Interstate logo sign sales. able airtime announcing the 511 phone system. St. Louis, Missouri, Example of Privately Operated Oregon Department of Transportation/Travel Traveler Information System Information Council Business Model Another example of a unique and successful business model ODOT operates the statewide traveler information system for traveler information operations is the Missouri DOT (commonly branded as TripCheck). In Oregon, another pub- (MoDOT) approach to traveler information. MoDOT has lic agency called the Oregon Travel Information Council partnered with a private sector company (Traffic.com) to (TIC) is responsible for maintaining highway traveler infor- provide traveler information services. Under this arrange- mation signs (e.g., Interstate logo signs describing services ment, Traffic.com operates the 511 phone system as well as at the exits), rest areas, and welcome centers. Beginning in a traveler information website branded as the Gateway Guide 2000, ODOT and the Oregon TIC began to cooperate and website used by MoDOT. Traffic.com operates this service have since developed a partnership in which customers of without any operating costs to MoDOT. The services offered the Oregon TIC can advertise their hotel, restaurant, or gas by Traffic.com are similar to traveler information services station on a special travel services portion of the ODOT operated in other cities throughout the United States (and TripCheck website. include personalized information delivery and alerts and notices of incidents); however, in St. Louis, callers dial- The advantage to this business model is that the Oregon ing the three-digit 511 number are connected directly to the TIC has a network of sales staff selling Interstate logo signs Traffic.com operated system. Unlike other 511 phone systems, placements to the businesses and has an established relation- callers to the St. Louis system may hear advertisements or ship with businesses throughout the state. Therefore, busi- sponsorship messages, because these announcements gener- nesses are offered the option to be promoted on TripCheck ate the revenue that allows Traffic.com to sustain the service. for a marginal increase in costs (reported as $150 per year). The St. Louis operation is an example of minimizing direct ODOT receives a portion of the revenue generated by the costs to government agencies and benefiting from the success- Oregon TIC each year by the TripCheck option. ful technical and marketing services of the private sector.

45 Other Examples of Revenue Generating Business Models · Avoid technology changes without a clearly defined need for the change Each year, the use of traveler information websites and 511 ­­ Technology upgrades almost seem like a race at phone systems increases. Therefore, business models that times, where new technologies replace old tech- attempted revenue generation a few years ago now have the nologies regularly and considerable costs can be advantage of a larger user base and more familiarity with the required for each technology upgrade. product. Recently, two initiatives in California have begun · Take advantage of technology changes that introduce revenue-generating business models: large cost savings ­­ VoIP is an example of a technology that may be · In San Diego, California, video feeds from cameras are appropriate for many agencies and can deliver sub- available and the project team is seeking to establish stantial cost savings. relationships with one or more partners to disseminate ­­ Other examples of cost-saving technologies are the video to travelers while recovering costs through consolidated systems where operators enter event or revenue generation. The project is attempting to find incident summaries one time and the information is partners who will disseminate the video access without disseminated through several mechanisms. paying the partners, and hopes to recover a portion of · Seek committed annual operations budgets the revenue that is generated by the partners. ­­ Many successful public traveler information sys- · In Los Angeles County, the Motorist Assist Traveler tems have committed annual budgets for traveler Information System will provide a comprehensive information that allow the agency to negotiate long- traveler information system, including an automated term agreements for such things as voice hosting phone system, an operator answered phone system, and information data collection. and traveler information websites. The current initia- ­­ Committed long-term budgets also allow agencies tive will attempt to recover portions of the operations' to strategically plan a sequential deployment or costs through advertising sales on the phone system, expansion of services. websites, and transit and transportation infrastructure · Choose services offered by public agencies wisely and (e.g., signs on buses and trains). seek private partners for the remainder of services ­­ Although public agencies may always deliver state- Although the amount of revenue generated by these two wide traveler information over the Internet and 511 examples of business models will be understood over the phone, new demands from travelers for information coming years, these examples illustrate that agencies are still delivery options (e.g., push technologies that deliver attempting to find business models that benefit from revenue information to travelers based on profiles, interfaces generation and attempt to offset operations costs. with in-vehicle navigation systems, and handheld devices) may be best delivered by private informa- tion service providers either on a fee-per-use basis Synthesis Of Real-Time Traveler Information or through advertising support. Delivery Business Model Best Practices ­­ Information service providers most definitely have a role to tailor information delivery according to a Based on the literature review and personal interviews with private business models. industry experts, the following best practices have been · Make as much information available to private sector identified for business models for the operation of traveler information providers as possible information delivery systems: ­­ Many states now post traffic data, incident and con- struction event information, camera images, and · Try to minimize public sector operations costs as much weather information for easy access by information as possible service providers. In some areas, large numbers ­­ Few examples of public sector information deliv- of information service providers are accessing the ery systems have generated any revenue (and the data, repackaging it, and delivering it to customers. net revenue generated has been minimal), therefore Each time this happens, more travelers are receiv- suggesting that operations budgets will most likely ing information without added expense to the public always be limited to public set-aside funds, which agencies. are limited and tend not to increase.

46 CHAPTER seven CONCLUSIONS Summary Of Challenges · In the weather industry, detailed weather forecasting and reporting is possible through public and private Based on the findings of this synthesis project, the traveler service providers. However, many traveler informa- information delivery industry faces three key challenges: tion systems disseminate information based on no-fee regional or county-based weather reports. In some First, the traveler information that is being delivered ways, the availability of no-cost weather sources has receives limited use. When it is considered that the Internet is prevented the use of more detailed services. still a relatively new tool (with widespread use beginning less · Through an online observation of traveler informa- than 15 years ago), it is remarkable that traveler information tion websites and 511 phone systems, it was observed is available in every state (with more than half of the public that typically road construction and maintenance event agencies surveyed in this project operating a second genera- reports are generic, with such phrases as "Intermittent tion or later version of their website). Similarly, with the des- lane closures from June through August." Although ignation of the 511 phone number happening in 2000, that 511 the daily construction and maintenance activities are traveler information systems are available to 47% of travelers known by the crews and supervisors in the field, infor- is another noteworthy accomplishment. However-- mation describing daily updates rarely reaches travel- ers through information dissemination systems. · Although the 511 phone system is available to 47% of the population, the statistics estimate that travelers call The third challenge is that both public and private traveler 511 during 4 of every 10,000 trips made in the United information providers face funding and budget challenges. States. · Telephone calls to 511 information systems during · Information delivery traditionally has been seen as a winter seasons increase drastically compared with "free" service and therefore the only business models calls during the summer seasons, and call volumes in which end users are paying for services are in lim- spike during inclement weather. This demonstrates ited areas with the most critical conditions. that travelers are receiving information during inclem- · Public sector agencies face unique challenges with ent weather, but also demonstrates that many systems restrictions on the use of funds only for deployment or are underutilized (and perhaps not needed) for large construction, and often encounter a lack of budget for portions of the year. operations. · Although more than 100 million 511 calls have been made to date, more than 30% of these calls were placed in either the San Francisco Bay area or the state of Florida. Suggestions For Future Research · The results of one survey presented in this synthesis describes how the majority of travelers surveyed in Based on the results of this synthesis, several suggestions are Montana called 511 fewer than three times in 6 months, presented to individual agencies and the traveler information whereas in a Nielsen survey, 77% of Americans indi- industry in general. cated they watch local television news broadcasts either daily or several times a week and 54% said they Accessibility of Traveler Information listen to radio news broadcasts daily or several times per week. Currently, most travelers do not use 511 as a The results of this projects' survey showed that many public daily activity, except in rare locations. agencies either have been successful at making their sys- tems accessible or are working diligently to do so. However, The second challenge is that a gap exists between what is based on feedback and input, it appears that some agencies possible in the state of the art in data collection, information are unclear about the steps required to achieve an accessible generation, and delivery, and what occurs in today's state of system and also have received little feedback from the travel- practice. ing public.

47 These findings suggest that more formal discussions · Feedback from transportation professionals who have occur between experts in information accessibility and the tested 511 phone systems typically cite many frustra- traveler information system operators and developers to tions with the systems and detail both the need for increase awareness and understanding of best practices and improvements and the technical ability to accomplish approaches. such improvements. · Contradicting the negative feedback, feedback obtained Display Consistencies from surveys of 511 users indicates satisfaction with 511 systems and often describes how useful and ben- The results of this projects' study and surveys show that there eficial the systems are. is little consistency in the use of icons and nomenclature of · With few exceptions, the use statistics for 511 do not event descriptions among traveler information websites. The reinforce the positive feedback expressed by surveyed 511 Deployment Coalition is actively pursuing consistency users. For example, nationwide, it is estimated that on and interoperability among 511 phone systems; however, a average travelers who live where 511 is available call coordinated effort was not found related to traveler informa- 511 for roughly 4 in every 10,000 trips performed. (This tion websites. estimate is based on an assumption of 110 million house- holds, and 511 availability to 47% of those households-- These findings suggest that a nationwide effort be con- approximately 50 million households. An estimate of sidered to achieve consistency in the use of icons on trav- five trips per household per day is used to estimate 91.25 eler information websites, beginning with consideration of billion trips per year performed by travelers with access the static signs designated in the Manual on Uniform Traffic to 511. Using the last 12 months of call statistics, roughly Control Devices as a starting point on which to base website 30 million 511 calls were placed per year.) That 511 is standards. called infrequently when compared with the number of trips may reflect the role 511 phone systems play (i.e., Performance Measures and the Role of 511 travelers only need 511 at specific times and 511 is not a service travelers expect to call for their regular trips). Traditionally, call volume statistics have been a major per- formance measure used to assess the success of 511 phone User surveys in California suggest that greater than 80% systems. For the following reasons, however, research sug- of callers to a traveler information phone system call because gests that volume of use tells only a small portion about the they suspect they might encounter a closure or major delay success and value of the system: (as opposed to routinely calling about their route). Roughly 50% of the times, these callers are correct and they receive · Even during periods of large call volumes, the infor- a report of a closure or a delay. Furthermore, seven out of mation delivered may be inaccurate, ineffective, and ten of these callers alter either their route or their departure unavailable, or the users may not react based on the times. This suggests that the value of 511 phone systems information. is in responding accurately when adverse conditions exist · The role that 511 plays in the industry may be a special- (including weather, construction, disasters, and crashes). ized role in which information is requested and received at times when television, radio, or Internet information The findings of this report suggest that more detailed and is not available. This role that 511 plays may contribute focused user feedback surveys be conducted to understand as much toward improving safety and mobility as other the true reactions of travelers, and that 511 and other infor- (more widely used) dissemination mediums do, but it mation dissemination systems be evaluated against their may not post the annual statistics of other systems. objectives and customer or marketplace focus. For example, detailed focus groups with travelers who have used 511 phone These findings suggest that the performance measures systems could discover their true reactions and answer the for 511 phone calls be reconsidered to include consideration question of why call volumes are not higher. The findings of the information content delivered per call, the informa- also suggest that call volumes should be compared against tion missing per call, and the travelers' reactions (or changes the conditions or situations travelers are facing and there- in action) based on the 511 call. Industry consideration and fore compared against a perceived need for 511. For example, definition of the role of 511 in the larger traveler information very low call volumes on a snowy busy day may reflect poor industry picture should reflect accurate expectations. customer support for the service; however, very low call vol- umes on a typical sunny summer day are probably normal. Correlations Among System Use, User Satisfaction, and Industry Feedback Ongoing Costs and Business Models Survey feedback suggests the following three related and Experiences to date suggest that the majority of public sector somewhat conflicting issues related to 511 phone systems: traveler information systems are not going to benefit enough

48 from private revenues to support ongoing operations. The busi- current state of the art in weather monitoring and forecast- ness model most agencies have adopted as a result is to operate ing is able to describe detailed and route-specific, current, systems with the lowest ongoing operations costs as possible. and forecasted conditions. However, there are many loca- Although the operations budget for traveler information web- tions in which general weather reports are presented, often sites vary little according to use, typically 511 phone systems using free weather content in lieu of executing in-house or carry an ongoing cost per use and represent a technology area outsourced weather forecasting products. As a result, a con- (phone hosting) that involves rapid technology turnover. siderable amount of weather data and information is avail- able that is not presented to travelers. These findings suggest that public agencies should consider Voice over Internet Protocol technologies to reduce "per min- This gap between the availability and use of weather ute" phone costs, and that the 511 industry research the feasi- information should be researched at a national level to help bility of centralizing (either regionally or nationally) portions state departments of transportation confirm whether they of the call-handling processes (while leaving content devel- wish to continue using existing "no cost" weather sources or opment and call dialogs to continue to be locally controlled). if the benefits justify a transition to the use of more sophisti- Such an approach might better meet the peaks in demand. cated weather information. The Gap Between Weather Information Availability and Delivery Nationally, a great deal of weather information is offered on traveler information websites and 511 phone systems. The

49 REFERENCES Burks, M. and C. Waddell, Universal Design for the Internet, MassHighway, "MassHighway Launches Expanded 511 Internet Society (ISOC) Member Briefing, prepared by Traveler Information Service," Press Release, MassHigh- M. Burks and C. Waddell, Internet Society, Reston, Va., way, Boston, Oct. 2007 [Online]. Available: http://www. 2001 [Online]. Available: http://www.isoc.org/ mhd.state.ma.us. briefings/002/. McGill, G., personal communication, ODOT, Aug. 28, Charles River Associates Inc., "User Acceptance of ATIS 2008. Products and Services: A Report of Qualitative Research," Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco EDL No. 6023, U.S. Department of Transportation, 511 Traveler Information User Satisfaction Survey, Met- Washington, D.C., 1997. ropolitan Transportation Commission, Oakland, Calif., ConsumerQuest, Modernizing the Caltrans Highway Infor- May 2004. mation Network Baseline Quantitative Survey, A Market National 511 Deployment Coalition, Call Volume Statistics, Research Report, prepared for California Department of Washington, D.C., 2008 [Online]. Available: http://www. Transportation, Sacramento, Dec. 2007. deploy511.org. FHWA, "Evaluation of Intelligent Transportation Infrastruc- Nielsen, "Nielsen Reports TV, Internet, and Mobile Usage ture Program (ITIP) in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Among Americans," 2007 [Online]. Available: http:/ Pennsylvania," ITS Benefits Database, Federal Highway www.nielsenmedia.com. Administration, Washington, D.C., Mar. 2003a [Online]. Available: www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_ Pew Internet and American Life Project, "Memo Re: Mobile te/13777.html. Access to Data and Information--March 2008," Pew Internet and American Life Project, Washington, D.C., FHWA, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices 2008 [Online]. Available: http://www.pewinternet.org/ (MUTCD), American Traffic Safety Services Associa- pdfs/PIP_Mobile.Data.Access.pdf. tions, Institute of Transportation Engineers, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offi- Schweiger, C.L., TCRP Synthesis 68: Methods of Rider Com- cials, and Federal Highway Administration, Washington, munication, Transportation Research Board, National D.C., 2003b. Research Council, Washington D.C., 2006. FHWA, Evaluation of Rural ITS Information Systems Along Stateline.org, "Digital Billboards Get Green Light," 2007 U.S. 395, Spokane, Washington, Federal Highway Admin- [Online]. Available: http://www.stateline.org/live/ istration, Washington, D.C., Jan. 2004. details/story?contentId=260259. Hunter-Zaworski, K. and R. Stewart, "Next Frontier in Acces- U.S. Department of Transportation, The Other N11s: How sible Traveler Information Systems: World Wide Web- Are They Provided? White paper presented at the first based Information Systems," Transportation Research 511 Conference, Phoenix, Ariz., U.S. Department of Record 1671, Transportation Research Board, National Transportation--ITS, 2001 [Online]. Available: http:// Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1999, pp. 1­4. www.its.dot.gov/511/PDF/Other_N11.pdf [accessed Mar. 1, 2001]. Kuester, C., "511 Program Performance Monitoring & Eval- uation in the San Francisco Bay Area," presented for the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington Metropolitan Transportation Commission, at the 511 State 511 Traveler Information User Survey, Washington National Conference, San Diego, Calif., July 17­19, State Department of Transportation, Olympia, 2005 2006. [Online]. Available: http://www.deploy511.org. Lappin, J., What Have We Learned About Advanced Traveler Western Transportation Institute, Montana Traveler Infor- Information Systems and Customer Satisfaction, John A. mation Survey--Summary of Results 2003, Western Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cam- Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Boze- bridge, Mass., 2000. man, 2004.

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 399: Real-Time Traveler Information Systems explores the needs and expectations of travelers, the current status of a variety of traveler information systems in the United States, available and emerging data sources, and business models for sustaining traveler information.

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