Framework for Collaborative Decision Making on Additions to Highway Capacity (2014)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

52 The use of technology contributed to the success of many of the case studies examined—most notably, as a tool to foster collaboration and integrate land-use and transportation planning. A key focus of the eight in-depth solution screening case studies was the use of technology to support solution screening. An overview of the different types of technologies used in these case studies is presented in this appendix. Overview of technologies by Case Study Information technology (IT) was found to be an effective tool to aid in the transportation solution screening process. The technologies used in each of the case studies are summarized in Table B.1. Further details about the tools are provided in this section. Caltrans’s Corridor System Management Plan Caltrans’s CSMPs focus transportation planning efforts on the use of all facilities within an urban corridor. The CSMP is based on a series of performance measures in three key areas: mobility, reliability, and safety. Three separate tools are used to calculate mobility: probe vehicles, PeMS, and 511. In addition, data from the statewide Highway Congestion Monitoring Program (HICOMP) pro- vides information on congestion levels for heavily-traveled freeways throughout California. The data are gathered through probe vehicles, which make trips over predetermined segments and measure the time needed to complete a route. HICOMP also uses loop detectors to gather data for the comprehensive reports. Caltrans’s Performance Measurement System (PeMS) is a web-based tool designed by the University of California, Berkeley, to host, process, retrieve, and analyze road traffic condition information. PeMS receives data from California freeway traffic detectors, as well as incident-related data from the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans. These data are entered into some of the performance measures used in the CSMP process, such as vehicle miles traveled and annual average daily traffic, from real-time and historical freeway detector data. Another system, 511, gives commuters access to real-time travel time information. This is meant to assist commuters with planning their trips around accidents and bottlenecks. Over the years, these data have been archived and are avail- able to study historical travel patterns and issues. Subregional models and a microsimulation model sim- ulate the movement of individual vehicles, based on the dynamic variables of car following and lane changing. These tools help identify deficiencies and alternatives. Additionally, cost-benefit tools identify the most cost-effective measures for mitigation strategies. The travel model outputs show how different corridor management strategies affect the perfor- mance measures. Florida’s Efficient Transportation Decision-Making Process Florida’s Efficient Transportation Decision-Making (ETDM) Process is the transportation planning process Florida uses to accomplish early agency participation, efficient environmen- tal review, and meaningful dispute resolution. It is supported by an Internet-accessible interactive database and mapping application called the environmental screening tool (EST). The EST brings together resource and project data from mul- tiple sources into one standard format. It uses GIS to provide standardized analyses of the effects of a proposed project on natural, cultural, and community resources. It also includes tools to input and update information about transportation projects and community characteristics, as well as report com- ments by the environmental technical advisory team (ETAT) representatives. Information from the secure website is pub- lished on a nightly basis to a read-only public access site. The a p p e n D I x B Technology and Transportation Decision Making

53 The combination of Internet and GIS technologies in the EST allows multiple parties to simultaneously view and pro- cess large amounts of information about a project, its context, and potential effects in a much more efficient and timely manner. The EST contains GIS data for each of the 23 resource and regulatory agencies participating in the ETDM Process. This information traditionally would not be available to all the agencies. Furthermore, each agency is able to see the com- ments of the other participants, which leads to more collab- orative decision making. The EST provides a comprehensive view of agency reviews, issues, and concerns for other agen- cies to consider and build on. The ETDM Project Diary allows ETDM participants to access specific information about each project, including class of action, dispute resolution logs, per- mits, summary of public involvement, and project managers. The EST maintains the project record from planning through project development, ensuring access to commitments and recommendations about the project as it moves forward in the project life cycle. EST database maintains the project record throughout the life cycle of the project. The EST is a Java-based web application that uses open- source software when feasible. It depends on Apache and Tomcat to support web services. Various open-source tool kits (Hibernate, Velocity, UJAC, and DOJO) are used to sup- port application development. Hibernate software creates a relationship between a Java application and the data that it is to access. Velocity provides tools for creating fast and easy templates to display data in HTML or PDF formats. Hibernate is paired with Velocity to retrieve data which can be readily passed directly to a Velocity template. UJAC and DOJO con- tain libraries of functions used to develop web-based forms and reports. The EST also uses Oracle 9i as the database man- agement system, and Esri products for the GIS analysis and mapping. ArcIMS 9.0.1 serves the interactive maps. ArcGIS 9.1 receives calls from the web application to perform GIS analysis and generate PDF maps in a batch mode. Esri’s SDE software is used to manage the geodatabase. Table B.1. Summary of Technologies by Case Study Case Study Technology General Description Caltrans’s Corridor System Management Plan (CSMP) Probe vehicles Collect data by measuring the time needed to complete a predetermined route Performance Measurement System (PeMS) Web-based tool designed to host, process, retrieve, and analyze road traffic condition information 511 System that gives commuters access to real-time travel time information Florida’s Efficient Transportation Decision-Making (ETDM) Process Environmental screening tool (EST) Internet-accessible interactive database and mapping application that brings together resource and project data from multiple sources into one standard format Idaho’s Transportation Vision 2033 MetroQuest Interactive regional scenario analysis software used to create and evaluate alternative scenarios in real time based on input from stakeholders Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC’s) VISION 2020 Paint the Region (PTR) Software intended to allow analysis and comparison of land-use and transportation scenarios Comment Management and Response Tool (CMART) Web-based tool used to manage public input Sacramento Region Blueprint I-PLACE3S Land-use projection visualization tool I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor Study Geographic Information System (GIS) Screening Tool GIS-driven environmental assessment and data management tool for environmental streamlining Texas Ecological Assessment Protocol (TEAP) Planning- and screening-level assessment tool that uses existing data available from the statewide GIS grid to identify ecologically important resources Quantm System Alignment optimization tool Wasatch Front Regional Council’s (WFRC) 2030 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Travel Model Software that determines trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, and trip assignments from a source of population distribution and employment information UrbanSim Software-based demographic and employment modeling tool for integrated planning and analysis

54 greenhouse gas emissions, ecological preservation, waste, water, energy, housing demographics, and economic growth. MetroQuest displayed performance measures for scenarios using maps, visualizations, photos, and graphs illustrated over four future decades. Workshop participants used the tool to experiment with policy combinations in land use, housing, transportation, and resource conservation and to see the performance of the resulting scenario instantly. Trained facilitators guided them through this process of experimenting, learning, collaborat- ing, and reaching consensus. The result was a preferred sce- nario that best met common priorities. While the Idaho and Calgary visioning processes focused on live workshops, a recent release of the MetroQuest tool also allows web-based visioning so that citizens can experi- ment with policy options and results on their own. This lets workshop participants stay engaged with the issues afterward and also reaches citizens who are not inclined to attend workshops. Puget Sound Regional Council’s Regional TIP Policy Framework and VISION 2020 The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) establishes regional policy direction. It ensures that transportation projects selected to receive federal funding are consistent with the regional long-range growth management and transportation plans. The Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Policy Framework and VISION 2020 are important elements of this effort. The first step in the development of VISION 2020 was selecting a preferred growth scenario. The supporting tech- nology used in this effort was the INDEX–Paint the Region (PTR) tool. INDEX is an integrated suite of interactive GIS planning support tools. PTR is one of those tools, used for regional growth planning and visioning. INDEX-PTR soft- ware allows users to explore various land-use and transporta- tion scenarios. The software is available in custom PC and secured web versions. Users can add new metropolitan, com- munity, and town centers; create new express, rail, and water corridors; identify important green areas; and place notes on the canvas. These new features are instantly viewable by other website users. The site uses ArcIMS, ArcSDE, and Microsoft SQL Server. Key project features include the following: • Software: ArcIMS, ArcSDE, MS SQL Server; • Custom tools that allow multiple users to simultaneously edit points, lines, and polygons via the ArcIMS site; • Geodatabase design and installation; • Customized ArcIMS, ArcSDE, and MS SQL Server; and • Ability for users to add MapNotes (digital post-it notes) to the web map site. Idaho’s Transportation Vision 2033 The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) initiated an exten sive dialogue and strategy process to create Idaho’s transportation vision through 2033. The visioning process brought together academia, public- and private-sector par- ticipants, and resource agencies. It transformed a fragmented decision-making process into a more integrated and systems- based transportation planning approach. An important objec- tive for the project was to unite stakeholders around a shared vision to enhance coordination and cooperation between agencies with roles that affect transportation systems. This technique has gone on to be successfully employed in 10 other regions. For example, the city of Calgary expanded the process significantly. In the visioning process, an interactive regional scenario analysis software (MetroQuest) was used to create and evaluate alternative scenarios in real time, based on input from stakeholders. MetroQuest was developed as a joint effort between the University of British Columbia’s Sus- tainable Development Research Institute and Envision Sus- tainability Tools, a private company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The MetroQuest software operates either over the Internet or on a stand-alone Windows-based per- sonal computer (PC). The stand-alone, PC-based version of MetroQuest is designed to be projected on a screen in a town-hall style work- shop in which participants use wireless keypads to develop and evaluate future scenarios. The Idaho visioning process was the first time that these technologies were combined to allow the participants to create and evaluate 30-year alternatives in workshops. To accommodate this process, software designers developed the capacity for MetroQuest to create scenarios in seconds—a process that previously required hours or days, making interactivity impossible in a workshop. Using MetroQuest, stakeholders explored and understood the synergies between land use, transportation, housing, environmental management, and economic development in a workshop setting. The MetroQuest software showed users the long-term outcomes of different choices by examining a wide range of indicators. It presented an array of questions concerning population growth, public and private transpor- tation infrastructure and policies, housing, land use, eco- nomic growth, energy, air pollution, solid waste, and water conservation. Using wireless keypads, participants answered these questions to create their preferred scenario in an itera- tive process. In the visioning process, planners used MetroQuest to pro- vide outputs on more than 100 performance measures in a wide range of areas, including transportation (congestion, safety, vehicle miles traveled, modal split, travel times, and others), land use, air quality, infrastructure costs, taxation,

55 process at the community level, regional workshops were held to create the preferred blueprint scenario. This led to the development of a metropolitan transportation plan (MTP) that would serve the populations and land uses as envisioned in the preferred scenario. I-PLACE3S enables users to apply a variety of zoning or land-use designations to potential development areas. These different classifications have different characteristics, such as the number of dwelling units per acre, how many employees commercial areas can handle, and how many parking spaces will be needed. As the users make changes to the zoning, I-PLACE3S shows the users how quality of life indicators—such as traffic congestion, open space, and hous- ing availability—will be affected. The changes are shown to the users through a variety of maps, graphs, and charts. Addi- tionally, the models can be manipulated and changed in an interactive format at public workshops. This allows the work- shop participants to see and realize the impacts of the sug- gested changes firsthand, helping them decide what they would like their communities to become. I-PLACE3S software is a web-based application that uses Oracle for data management and analysis. Information is presented on the website through ASP. Results of the scenar- ios are presented on web pages and maps. Some tables of results may also be downloaded to Excel spreadsheets. The ability of SACOG to use a modeling and simulation tool at its public workshops during the Blueprint Project helped make the planning process interactive. The approach of using I-PLACE3S helped the citizens, stakeholders, and participating agencies see the consequences of changes in land use firsthand. The use of technology with an in-depth public involvement process helped create grassroots support and a sustainable level of credibility for the final preferred scenario. I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor Study The national I-69 corridor was established in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). In 1998, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) amended the I-69 corridor to include corridor 20, which extended through Laredo, the lower Rio Grande Valley, and Texarkana in Texas. As a result, 15 separate sections of independent utility (SIUs) for I-69 were located in Texas, and an alignment-level National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) evaluation was needed on each. Several technologies were employed during the course of this project. The most notable and heavily used are described in this summary. GIS Screening Tool Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 developed the GIS Screening Tool (GISST), which is a GIS-driven PSRC used INDEX-PTR internally to identify future land uses in the region. The software is intended to allow analysis and comparison of land-use and transportation scenarios, and provide a better understanding of possible long-term benefits and cumulative impacts of growth patterns. Up to 26 envi- ronmental, land-use, demographic, and transportation indi- cators can be analyzed. PSRC chose not to use the software to determine transportation demand and air quality because the INDEX-PTR models for these two indicators were over- simplified. Instead, PSRC used in-house transportation and air quality models typically used by MPOs around the country. Originally, the INDEX-PTR tool was also intended to be used in an interactive public involvement situation. However, PSRC decided to use simplified graphics in its workshops to convey information derived from INDEX-PTR. (It should be noted that INDEX-PTR was used successfully in interactive public workshops by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Com- mission while developing its 2040 Regional Framework Plan. This project was reviewed in the preliminary research stage but not selected as a case study for more detailed research.) Other tools used in the VISION 2020 development process included UrbanSim and Comment Management and Response Tool (CMART). UrbanSim is a planning and analysis simula- tion model that can integrate with transportation demand models. UrbanSim is licensed under the GNU General Public License and is available free of cost (UrbanSim website: http:// www.urbansim.org/). It is intended to be platform-independent and has been successfully installed on Windows, Linux, and Macintosh operating systems. UrbanSim relies on open-source software such as Python and Traits. CMART is a proprietary web-based tool used to manage public input. The software manages documents and comments. It creates a response and review chain, maintains response history, queries comments and responses, provides status of responses, develops summary comments and responses, and produces the typical EIS output reports. Sacramento Region Blueprint Project The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) linked transportation planning with land use to create a vision, or blueprint, for future land use in the region. The blueprint was used to prepare a plan that would serve regional transpor- tation needs. First, a “base case study” scenario was built to illustrate how the area would grow if current local government land-use plans and zoning guidelines are followed through to 2050. Next, the blueprint team used a land-use projection visu- alization tool, I-PLACE3S, to develop different growth scenar- ios. The different growth scenarios were then compared to one another based on how well they met smart growth principles. Individual communities evaluated the different growth sce- narios through public workshops. Following the visioning

56 Statewide Analysis Model Texas DOT developed the Texas Statewide Analysis Model (SAM) to provide analysis and forecasting capabilities of pas- senger and commodity/freight movements in Texas. The SAM provides data and results at a level that is more aggregate than that typically accomplished within urban areas in their travel demand models. The project team used the SAM for quantita- tive analysis at a conceptual level to measure operational effi- ciency based on routing and location efficiency of preliminary corridors. The SAM is integrated with over two dozen Texas urban area models and provides consistent and accurate analysis of the following general types of projects: • Forecasting accurate statewide traffic volumes by mode for passengers and freight; • Forecasting mode shifts for passengers and freight; • Analyzing state-level, multimodal alternatives for each mode that should be accurate enough to support analysis for project selection; • Analyzing concurrent modal and multimodal network alternatives; and • Analyzing the relative impacts of domestic and through traffic for passengers and freight at the statewide and individual urban area levels. ProjectSolve The I-69 Trans-Texas streamlining process used ProjectSolve2, a proprietary technology that provides secure Internet- based collaboration through a website (http://www.project solve2.com), to facilitate communication and project infor- mation review. ProjectSolve2 is built on EMC’s Documen- tum eRoom collaboration platform. ProjectSolve2 was used to facilitate the project deliverables review process. Once project deliverables were available, they were posted on ProjectSolve2. The technical advisory committee/steering committee members were notified when the deliverables were available for review and comment. ProjectSolve2 web- site functions include • GIS data set transfer and collection; • Deliberation over concurrence points through a message board; • Concurrence documentation; • Issues identification and tracking; • Project contacts database; • Significant meetings and public involvement events calendar; • New information alerts; and • Related web links. environmental assessment (EA) and data management tool for environmental streamlining. GISST provides a system- atic approach to considering environmental impacts. It is designed to better understand the potential significance of single and cumulative effects and to facilitate communi- cation of tech nical and regulatory data with industry, the public, and other stakeholders. The scoring structure con- sists of criteria, using 1 as low concern and 5 as high con- cern, based on available data sets and expert input (see the GISST User Manual for more details). GISST uses ArcGIS to identify and map environmental concerns and to screen potential projects. EPA Region 6 and Texas DOT have found the GISST to be an excellent tool for decreasing NEPA review time. Texas Ecological Assessment Protocol The Texas Ecological Assessment Protocol (TEAP) is a planning- and screening-level assessment tool that uses existing data available from the statewide GIS grid to iden- tify eco logically important resources throughout Texas. The TEAP resulted in a composite map and underlying data layers which describe the state of Texas by ecoregion and identify the optimum ecological areas for protection and mitigation. The results of the TEAP are used in project plan- ning (i.e., scoping, alternatives analysis) to determine appro- priate areas to conduct detailed field investigations, and in mitigation discussions to avoid ecologically important areas, minimize impacts to those areas, and compensate for unavoidable impacts. Quantm System (Quantm) Quantm is an alignment optimization technology and meth- odology that is used to generate potential routes using a digi- tal terrain model, engineering design criteria (e.g., cut/fill side slopes, maximum grades), and defined constraints. The constraints definitions used in the I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor Study included certain GISST data sets (population density, wetlands, managed lands, and TEAP composite map), city boundaries, and airports. In addition, other constraints were used in specific locations. Quantm generated potential routes that planners, environ- mental scientists, and engineers used to determine corridors. This was accomplished by plotting the representative results of millions of potential routes on maps, which also contained geo- graphical features and features that routes should avoid (i.e., route constraints). The representative results were chosen from those alignments that successfully avoided the constraints. These were areas in which groups of routes concentrated together in bandlike formations or grouped patterns indicating likely corridor locations.

57 Travel Model is software that determines trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, and trip assignments from a source of population distribution and employment informa- tion. Trip-based models typically represent each trip—such as an employee’s trip from home to work or from work to home—so that projected demands on a transportation net- work can be estimated. WFRC uses Travel Model with Urban- Sim and relies on GIS layers for the map data. Summary of Case Study technologies by phase The IT used among the case studies to support the transpor- tation solution screening process can be grouped into four main components or types: GIS, modeling and visualization, web-based collaboration, and data framework. These tech- nologies contribute to the success of the project by support- ing the activities needed in a collaborative solution screening process, including project management, stakeholder involve- ment, ongoing communication, and visioning exercises. In the cases reviewed, the four types of technologies were used to screen different types of solutions, including those at the scenario or transportation system level and corridor level and route selection. They were deployed in a variety of settings, from project-specific applications hosted by a university or consultant to enterprisewide solutions hosted by a DOT infor- mation department. The matrix provided in Table B.2 shows the types of activities supported by each technology used in the case studies and at what point in the transportation decision-making process they were used. Each case study tool is also cross-referenced to the technology component(s) used in the tool. For example, the EST used GIS to support ongo- ing communication by determining who should receive proj- ect notifications based on geographic jurisdiction. In another example, MetroQuest supported scenario planning by using modeling and visualization technology. Characteristics of Key technology Components Four core technology components identified in the case studies were (1) GIS, (2) modeling and visualization tech- nologies, (3) web-based collaboration tools, and (4) data framework for collaborative decision making. These tech- nologies have been used successfully in the case studies to benefit collaborative decision making by • Integrating data from multiple sources. For example, depart- ments of transportation (DOTs) and local transporta- tion planning organizations can provide information about proposed transportation projects. Regulatory and resource management agencies provide information Illinois Prairie Parkway This project used typical analyses, such as traffic forecasting, land-use/growth projections, and travel surveys. No special- ized technology was used, so further assessment is not included in this section. Wasatch Front Regional Transportation Plan: 2007–2030 The Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) is responsi- ble for the transportation planning in the Salt Lake and Ogden–Layton urbanized areas. WFRC developed the Wasatch Front Regional Transportation Plan: 2007–2030 (2030 RTP) to identify, plan, finance, and implement a coordinated system of transportation improvements to serve existing and expected growth throughout the region through the year 2030. WFRC used three software tools, an in-house Esri-based GIS, UrbanSim, and Travel Model. The three tools were used concurrently—for example, GIS layers were provided to UrbanSim, which in turn could modify the layer and port it back into the GIS as a new layer depicting a specific urban scenario. This powerful and flexible technology package, fairly common in the practice, allowed planners to model future land-use patterns and populations, create a travel model for the future community, and depict the results in tables and maps. Thus, alternative solutions were created and evaluated during the selection process. The GIS is a core technology used throughout the planning process and provides geographic products, including maps, analysis, and processed data, to internal users, other agencies, and the public on request. The GIS is routinely used to create maps, detailed GIS analysis, and visuals for presentations, reports, meetings, redline discussions, and so forth. GIS is used to develop and present the cartographic and data repre- sentation of the urban and traffic-demand model runs on common base maps. In addition to graphically depicting the alternatives, the GIS can produce reports of the data for the alternatives, and can run any number of analysis exercises for any of the alternative solutions under study. UrbanSim is a software-based demographic and employ- ment modeling tool for integrated planning and analysis of urban development, incorporating the interactions between land use, transportation, and public policy with demographic information. It is intended for use by MPOs and others needing to interface existing travel models with new land- use forecasting and analysis capabilities. UrbanSim has many built-in GIS functions and exchanges information with the GIS. The use of UrbanSim early in WFRC’s process was a unique feature that allowed consideration of land-use prin- ciples before determination of transportation needs.

58 Table B.2. Case Study Tools Used in Transportation Solution Screening Organized by Technology Component and Phase Key Technology Component Solution Screening Support Activities Stages of Solution Screening Project Management Stakeholder Involvement Ongoing Communication Visioning Scenario and Long-Range Planning Corridor Planning Environmental Review GIS EST EST MetroQuest I-69 EST EST MetroQuest I-69 I-PLACE3S MetroQuest I-69 I-69 I-PLACE3S UrbanSim PTR CSMP I-69 Modeling and visualiza- tion technology MetroQuest MetroQuest MetroQuest MetroQuest I-69 I-69 I-PLACE3S I-PLACE3S UrbanSim CSMP UrbanSim Travel Model Travel Model PTR Web-based collabora- tion tool EST EST EST MetroQuest MetroQuest EST EST I-69 MetroQuest I-69 I-PLACE3S I-PLACE3S CSMP I-69 I-PLACE3S I-69 CMART Data framework EST EST EST EST I-69 EST EST MetroQuest MetroQuest MetroQuest I-69 I-69 I-PLACE3S I-PLACE3S UrbanSim CSMP UrbanSim Note: CMART—Software used by PSRC to record and respond to public input; CSMP—Technology tools used to develop Caltrans’s CSMP; EST—Florida’s ETDM Process EST; I-PLACE3S—Software used by SACOG for the Blueprint Project; I-69—Technology tools used to support the I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor Study; MetroQuest— Software used for interactive regional scenario analysis in Idaho and Calgary; PTR—INDEX–Paint the Region software used by PSRC; Travel Model—Software used in the 2030 RTP by WFRC; UrbanSim—Software used by the WFRC and PSRC. about environmental resources. Using these technologies, the disparate information can be pulled together and made available for analysis and review. • Analyzing the effects of proposed projects on the human and natural environment. These technologies enable screening of alternatives by comparing the locations of the alterna- tives with locations of environmental resources (e.g., cal- culating the acreage of wetlands within various distances from an alternative corridor centerline, and counting the number of known historical and archaeological sites). Potential effects can be modeled and assessed to compare potential alternatives. • Communicating information effectively among collaborat- ing agencies and with the public. These technologies enable access to information by all interested parties. They can facilitate notification when project information is avail- able or has been updated. They provide easy access to information and enable participants to submit comments and participate more fully in the decision-making process throughout solution screening and the life cycle of the project. • Storing and reporting results of alternative screenings. Not only do the technologies enable analysis and visualization, they enable the results to be stored and reported. • Maintaining project records, including commitments and responses, throughout the project life cycle. As the project moves through subsequent phases, the project information can be updated and maintained. Analysis results, com- ments received from participants, and the results of public involvement can be maintained as part of the project record and continue to be available. The core technology components are described in more detail below. Each section includes a discussion of the current state of practice and future trends in the development of the technology. The technology is addressed from a broad trans- portation community perspective, not limited to the internal enterprisewide DOT computing environment. Emphasis is

59 increasingly be available as web services for both internal and external use. This new platform will extend the reach of GIS technology and reinforce the importance of organizations that support this infrastructure. Many of these organizations, such as transportation, land management, environmental, and planning agencies, have already invested heavily in the development of GIS tools and data. This infrastructure can be leveraged by the new framework. Industry professionals have started to refer to future trends in GIS as the “GeoWeb.” The GeoWeb is a vision that can be real- ized only through the participation of GIS professionals. Cur- rently, the GIS community creates libraries of specialized content or specific geographies that can be accessed through portals such as Geospatial One-Stop. Instead of providing wide access to a single source of data, the GeoWeb can bring together vast stores of transactionally maintained data (i.e., real-time and historically archived) of many types along with geospatial services that can interact and be used to create new information (Figure B.1). These combined services will provide a new dis- tributed GIS that is open, interoperable, and dynamic. It is envi- sioned that individual systems and communities will use each other’s services, breaking down the various geospatial data sets into components and allowing the dynamic integration of knowledge. The management of this knowledge will be distrib- uted. Services will be interconnected to create new services; and as a result, various parts of organizations will become increas- ingly collaborative and interdependent. Eventually, these services will provide a global network of geographic knowledge that is widely accessible and reflects the dynamic changes occurring. Common services that will increasingly be made available (published) will range from data, mapping, spatial analysis models, and 3-D visualizations as services for others to access and use. Modeling and Visualization Technologies Current State of Practice Microsimulation and travel demand modeling has existed for some time. It is fairly mature and has been advancing. Simi- larly, many tools allow for scenarios to be modeled by experts and the static results prepared for presentation to decision makers and stakeholders. Trends in recent years have had a great impact on the state of technology to support modeling and visioning. Focusing on technology to support collabora- tive processes, the following trends have been observed: • Data standardization and availability. Increasingly, data required to support modeling and visioning (e.g., GIS lay- ers, census data, satellite imagery, and transportation sur- veys) have become standardized and more freely available, facilitating integrated modeling approaches and inter- agency collaborations. given to trends that will expand the technologies beyond a few case studies, enabling the transportation community to build and share interoperable tools that support common tasks within the Collaborative Decision-Making Framework (Framework). Geographic Information Systems Current State of Practice Over the past 20 years GIS technologies have grown from highly specialized project-based tools to become an enter- prise framework within some agencies. Much of the growth has been fueled by the need to combine data and analyze problems in a geographic context. However, GIS is much more than a digital way to make maps and manage data. Transportation agencies have embraced the entire spectrum of a GIS implementation, particularly using GIS as a collab- orative decision-making tool. Lower costs, ease of use, acces- sibility, and availability of data have all contributed to this growth. Much like modeling and visualization tools, GIS has benefited from the same improvements in technology— faster processing, increased bandwidth, greater storage capac- ity, mobile technologies, and real-time networks—that have advanced mainstream IT. As GIS software has evolved, it now supports many different platforms. From its beginning on mainframe computers, it has moved to minicomputers, then workstations and PCs, and now the web. As is evident from the case studies investigated during the research portion of this project and other relevant examples beyond this study, GIS can be used to set up a framework for bringing information processes together. These processes range from measuring and analyzing to modeling, planning, decision making, and taking action. The knowledge produced by information processes can also be effectively disseminated using GIS. This results in better communication and allows for improved collaboration and coordination of efforts. Future Directions The future for GIS to support collaborative decision making is bright. The trend toward rapid advancements in GIS and IT remains steady. Enabling technologies continue to evolve rap- idly with faster computers, increased bandwidth, larger stor- age, web services standards, mobile technologies, real-time server networks, and GIS software that is designed to work on the web. Web-based GIS represents a whole new generation of technology that will dramatically change GIS professionals’ ability to share and integrate their geo-information. Popular websites such as Google Earth and Microsoft Vir- tual Earth have introduced more people to the world of map- ping and visualization, but the public and consumers are interested in seeing more. In the future, GIS knowledge will

60 for the use of visualizations and community participation in transportation planning processes. While specific guidelines have been slower to emerge, increasingly, agencies are exper- imenting with leading-edge approaches to using technology to support community participation in planning. • Longer time horizons. Recently, planning projects have emphasized longer time horizons, many looking 20–40 years into the future. With such extended time horizons, the need for collaboration between resource agencies, land- use policy makers, and transportation planning agencies intensifies. Shorter-term planning is more likely to be reactive and limited in scope, while longer-term plan- ning often forces practitioners to recognize the dynamics between sectors. For example, in longer time horizons, demographic shifts or housing development patterns can dramatically affect future transportation capacity analy- sis, while in short-term projects, these can be assumed to be static. These changes have resulted in dramatic developments in the state of technology. The most recent advances have been toward more integrated modeling, improved visualization, and development of the capability to allow community stake- holders to create and explore their own visions or scenarios in workshops or over the web. Table B.3 highlights these tasks and lists a few leading technology tools that were investigated in the case studies. • Computing power. As expected, improvements in the com- puting capabilities of typical computers have facilitated modeling that is more central processing unit (CPU) intensive. In particular, land-use scenario modeling is now possible on an average PC. In most cases, hours or days are still required to run scenarios, limiting interactivity. Simi- larly, CPU-intensive visualizations such as 3-D rendering are increasingly accessible though, in most cases, inter- activity is still limited. Highly skilled programmers and technicians are required for this work. • Land-use and transportation integration. In recent years, efforts to connect land-use and transportation policy mak- ing have affected the development of technology to sup- port those activities. Models that allow both land-use and transportation alternatives to be tested and evaluated in real time were first pilot tested in 2004 and have been refined in several case studies since then. • Web access. Recent years have seen an unprecedented emphasis on the development of web-based collaborative technology. This movement has led to increased accessibil- ity to decision-making processes by stakeholders, agencies, and the public. The movement has also accelerated improvements in modeling capability by allowing web users to share high-powered centralized servers for CPU- intensive modeling. • Legislation changes. Recent legislation at the state and fed- eral levels (e.g., SAFETEA-LU) has increased requirements Figure B.1. GeoWeb framework for collaboration and integration of systems.

61 • Land-use and transportation modeling integration can be lim- ited. While a few successful examples of integrated modeling were found, most involved taking the outputs from a land- use model and feeding them into a transportation model, thus cutting off the possibility of exploring feedback and secondary interactions between the two areas. Both fields of analysis are sufficiently complicated to result in significant barriers for deep analytical integration. Some level of sim- plification may be needed in each area to facilitate the inte- gration process in a way that is interactive for participants. The fields of modeling and visioning seem to be merging to some extent with models more routinely being used in collab- orative visioning exercises. While this combination has proven to be successful in several case studies examined, there is also a hazard in the merger. Visioning is a task oriented to community and public involvement and requires a broad, comprehensive, and highly visual approach. Modeling can be broad and com- prehensive but is often best used to explore detailed analytical questions. The interface, visualization capability, speed, and comprehensiveness needed to be successful in visioning appli- cations can be at odds with the requirements of decision makers during more analytical parts of the decision-making process. A more sophisticated understanding of the requirements for these very different applications is needed to optimize the technolo- gies toward those goals. Web-Based Collaboration Tools Current State of Practice Work-group collaboration tools, such as online meetings, digi- tal whiteboards, and video-conferencing, are a common part of the modern office IT infrastructure. These collaborative tech- nologies, also known as “groupware,” support the information and idea exchange that accompanies teamwork. Groupware presents new possibilities for collaboration, such as capturing the outputs of activities, tracking their progress, and analyzing their consequences via an interactive knowledge base, adding a new level of value to the collaboration. Combined with the abil- ity to index, search, and sort through these systems remotely in a near-instant fashion, practitioners now have the power to extend collaborative workflows practically whenever, wherever, and to whomever is needed. In the context of tracking major transportation capacity improvement projects, these tools have been used effectively to facilitate and augment a deliberative decision-making process that can span decades and the gamut of stakeholders. Of course, there are barriers and inefficiencies in the appli- cation of these tools across the board. Disparate systems may not be interoperable, and a lack of established protocols for information exchange and a resistance to change can hamper Future Directions While the state of the practice in modeling and visioning has advanced considerably in recent years, each case study uncovered several areas in which improvement was needed. Each of the trends noted above can realistically be expected to continue to some extent and many of these trends will serve to address the shortcomings identified in the case studies. Specifically, the following themes were repeatedly heard: • Onerous data collection process. As models become more sophisticated and broaden in scope, the list of data required to populate them grows rapidly. The task of populating and calibrating these models can be a significant barrier. While data standardization has helped in this capacity, the barrier still exists for most technologies. One example examined used an automated process for collecting and formatting standardized data to populate the model. Further advances in this area will significantly improve the accessibility of these technologies. • Many scenario models are still too slow. While computing power is improving, the demands seem to be increasing at a similar rate, often resulting in models that take hours or days to run. With the increasing demand for collaboration and interactive scenario exploration, models that run in seconds, either in workshops or over the web, are needed. Only two examples could be found that allowed this kind of interactivity. More widespread development of this capability is needed. Table B.3. Modeling and Visualization Tasks and Associated Technologies Task Examples of Technology Tools from Case Studies Integrated land-use and transportation modeling INDEX (through exporting to Travel Model) I-PLACE3S (through exporting to Travel Model) MetroQuest UrbanSim (through exporting to Travel Model) Interactive scenario cre- ation in public work- shops (i.e., visioning) I-PLACE3S MetroQuest 3-D visualization ArcGIS Spatial and 3D Analyst Quantm (for corridor planning) Web-based collaboration MetroQuest Various web GIS applications

62 for software designed in a service-oriented architecture (SOA). As an example, events on an electronic calendar can be pub- lished as a web service and integrated with other remote calen- dars. The versatility and flexibility of CMSs in organizing and presenting online content makes them ideal web-collaboration frameworks. Cloud Computing Web-based collaboration has also benefited from the trend toward cloud computing, which is another term for distrib- uted computing over the Internet (often represented as a cloud on network diagrams). Some notable forms of cloud computing are • Software as a service (SaaS). Software, such as word process- ing, is accessible remotely on-demand via a client (often a web browser). • Grid computing. Networked computers perform parallel computation to increase computing power. SaaS implementations include RIAs that are enabled by Web 2.0, a collection of techniques and frameworks for making network-based applications behave more like tradi- tional desktop applications. Such applications can them- selves be modularized for consumption by a CMS, increasing their value. Cloud computing lowers the burden on users for gaining access to powerful computing resources. For example, grid computing can offer the average user access to supercomputer-level computational ability by using the idle CPU time of computers networked over the Internet. Cloud computing uses the network to provide users with more convenient access to software and potentially greater com- puting power, a natural advantage for web-based collabora- tion tools. SoCial networking Internet-accessible tools for forming and maintaining inter- personal relationships are known collectively as social net- working tools, and they have fomented a new paradigm in communication. As people become familiar with these sys- tems and increase their usage, the value of the network increases (as first observed by Robert Metcalfe in a comment on Metcalfe’s Law and Legacy by George Glider). This is due in part to the ability to connect and communicate with more people and also to the leveraging of information that these software systems capture about a user’s reputation and affinity for other users. Some practical applications of this technology are group editing of documents and improved information search and retrieval, which harness collective intelligence. Much like the telephone and Internet, people will adopt and adapt these new communication conduits to group-oriented tasks. the realization of progress. Market forces, however, have a way of overcoming such obstacles. One example of this is the vast success and ubiquity of the Internet and web browser technol- ogy, which opened up new channels of communication for nearly all sectors of society. Similarly, there are emerging front- runners in the field of web-based collaboration technologies. A software constituency composed of stakeholders, from design- ers to end users, demands improved features of the best soft- ware and rejects the worst (except when the market is cornered). In particular, the most successful web-based collaboration tools tend to be software products with open architectures that by their very nature are the easiest to use and adapt by all con- stituents; scale to the greatest number of users; and provide the most value to all parties. The purpose of this section is to highlight some leading-edge trends in the web-based collabo- ration technology arena that, when harnessed, will have an immediate and high-value impact on collaborative decision- making processes in the realm of transportation capacity improvement. The web-based collaboration trends of note in the current environment are content management systems (CMSs), cloud computing, and social networking. As evidenced by the ascen- dance of the blogosphere, rich Internet applications (RIAs), and reputation-based networks, demand for network-accessible software and online content is driving the development of ever more convenient and useful means of interacting with the soft- ware itself and a network of other users. Collaborative decision makers have needs that are often aligned with these communi- cation technologies, such as information exchange, analysis of options, and soliciting feedback. The remainder of this section is devoted to exploring how these trends are playing out. Content management SyStemS A CMS is a software package that manages the creation, revi- sion, cataloging, and dissemination of electronic content. These systems can scale from the management of web content for small groups to large enterprises and beyond, such as entire online communities. Typical services of these software packages include web-page design and layout, blogging, syn- dication and aggregation of content, and productivity tools (calendaring, contacts, e-mail, instant messaging, and the like). The maturation of CMS products, especially in the free and open-source software (FOSS) community, means that even nonexperts can get a well-designed, multifeatured, and manageable web-based collaboration website up and running without extensive system administration effort or software development/licensing expense. A full-featured CMS is exten- sible, meaning that a content provider can easily plug in new modules, widgets, or services (created via both community- oriented and proprietary software development efforts) that implement the CMS’s well-defined interfaces. Increasingly, CMS implementations have become a portal to web-interfaces

63 fashion. Promising work is being done to mitigate this situa- tion. For example, the semantic web is a framework that has the potential to bring to all data what the web brought to hypertext documents. By tagging information in a machine- readable format and using data-mining and artificial intelli- gence techniques, it will be possible to find and combine information in new, semantically driven ways. As with trans- portation capacity improvement itself, innovative modes and solutions will emerge in IT to meet the needs and challenges presented by the steady increase in the traffic of information. Web-collaboration tools continue to advance in the number of available features and the power of those features to support collaborative processes. The software systems that make up these tools are becoming more sophisticated and easier to use, from both an end-user and application developer perspective. This process has no end in sight, to the benefit of all constitu- ents. The key to progress of these tools is an open, market-based system (not necessarily commercial) in which well-designed standards allow software to both collaborate and compete for the most utility. When applied to decision-support for trans- portation projects, these tools have the potential to increase involvement, understanding, and acceptance of outcomes. Data Framework for Collaborative Decision Making Current State of Practice At the foundation of each of these technologies lies data, orga- nized to support modeling, analysis, mapping, and visioning tasks. Data development presents a challenge for the collabora- tive decision-making process because it can be costly and time- consuming, especially for GIS tools. Problems such as lack of data, incompleteness of data, out-of-date data, and incompat- ibility of data were reoccurring themes among the case studies (see Appendix C). Several factors contribute to the challenge: • Large quantities of disparate data must be collected to support transportation planning activities. Transportation modeling, analysis, mapping, and visualization activities require cur- rent and accurate data from a broad range of themes such as transportation, environmental, demographic, urban plan- ning, and other related data. More accurate, site-specific data are generally more expensive to compile than generalized, regional data. • Projects often need data that cross various jurisdictional and organizational boundaries. The data needed to assess community, natural, and cultural impacts are often gath- ered from other organizations that are responsible for managing those resources. This information may be dif- ficult to locate. Future Directions CMS, cloud computing, and social networking concepts incor- porate well-known and long-understood principles of com- puter science and IT. The Internet and web have allowed these concepts to be realized in practical ways, as standard modes of computation and communication are reengineered for the web. This has allowed groupware technology to spread, which in turn creates new evolutionary demands for the software. In particular, transportation planning can benefit as it incorpo- rates more of these state-of-the-art web-collaboration tools into the next-generation planning process. While not solution screening tools per se, groupware’s com- munication, archiving, and search-and-retrieval capabilities, along with the trend toward open standards and interoperabil- ity, mean that the technologies discussed here are suited for application to decision making and other collaborative pro- cesses. A CMS can interface with and add value to other soft- ware typically used in decision-support processes, such as databases, GIS, and Electronic Document Management Ser- vices. Built-in CMS features, such as publishing calendar events as a web service, can be applied to notify stakeholders of events and milestones in project planning and development. Other CMS-bundled tools for social networking (such as instant messaging, discussion forums, and blogging) can be tailored to serve the needs of transportation project stakeholders, opening up lines of communication and documenting knowledge and decision making for posterity. The extensibility of the CMS itself means it can serve as a consistent, stable portal to nearly any kind of web application functionality imaginable. These could include modeling tools that apply grid computing to drastically accelerate the real- time analysis of alternatives for capacity improvement, and visualization software that applies SaaS techniques to deliver data, graphs, maps, and analysis tools in a universally accessible format over the web, effectively democratizing this part of the planning process. Even the advent of digital worlds and avatars in social networks may one day allow for public outreach and visioning in immersive technologies that today are reserved for the military and movie and gaming industries. As is often the case in computing, trends that begin as entertainment or play can evolve and be repurposed in innovative ways. What all of these trends have in common is distribution of the information and computing channels, providing maxi- mum accessibility and utility for the most number of users. As web-based technology evolves and is commoditized, creating custom representations or views of collaborative processes which can be combined and analyzed as needed becomes a reality for the average user. The downside to all of this knowl- edge capture and sharing is an information glut. Efficiencies are lost when the proliferation of data overwhelms the ability to quickly access, search, and process the data in an ad-hoc

64 common features, attributes, and relationships for these data themes. • Geospatial One-Stop. This public website provides access to geospatial information and data under the Geospatial One-Stop E-Government initiative. Geospatial One-Stop is one of 24 E-Government initiatives sponsored by the fed- eral Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to enhance government efficiency and to improve citizen services. It provides a catalog of geospatial information containing thousands of metadata records (information about the data) and links to live maps, features, catalog services, download- able data sets, images, clearinghouses, and map files. The metadata records were submitted to the portal by govern- ment agencies, individuals, and companies, or gathered from geospatial clearinghouses. • The National Map. This nationally consistent database and topological map series was developed by the U.S. Geologi- cal Survey (USGS). The National Map is the product of a consortium of federal, state, and local partners who provide geospatial data. It focuses on structures, transportation, government units, and the National Hydrography Dataset. • Esri Transportation Data Model. This model provides a data- base design template to help implement GIS projects. The Transportation Data Model was developed by a group of Esri transportation industry users, consultants, Esri business partners, and academics in a collaborative environment. These national efforts are all ongoing and will take many years to be fully operational. In the meanwhile, many state and local governments are creating data repositories or librar- ies to facilitate data sharing. For example, in the case studies, both the Florida ETDM Process and the Texas I-69 corridor project benefited from this type of initiative. • Data collected by different organizations are often incompatible. They may use different geographic references, different stan- dards, or different classification rationale. Cross-referencing these different data schemas to make them compatible can be very costly and time-consuming. In the case studies, these issues were minimized when com- mon data frameworks existed to establish policies, standards, and procedures for organizations to cooperatively produce and share data. Common data frameworks enabled collaborative data acquisition, reducing costs and producing data that can be used in multiple applications. Several initiatives are currently under way to promote the coordinated development, use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis. These include the following: • National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). This nation- wide data-publishing effort sponsored by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is a physical, orga- nizational, and virtual network designed to enable the development and sharing of the nation’s digital geo- graphic information resources. The FGDC is developing the NSDI in cooperation with organizations from state, local, and tribal governments; the academic community; and the private sector. • FGDC National Digital Geospatial Data Framework. This is a collaborative effort to create a widely available source of basic geographic data. It focuses on seven of the most com- mon data themes: (1) geodetic control, (2) orthoimagery, (3) elevation, (4) transportation, (5) hydrography, (6) gov- ernmental units, and (7) cadastral information. At its foun- dation is the development of open standards, which define