UPDATE: Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
WSRTC: Update from The Consortium!
We are now in Phase 2, TPF-5(494) of the WSRTC, which runs through March of 2027!
There are currently four active task orders:
- Evaluation of the Fotokite Tethered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for DOT Operations in Network-Deprived Areas (AHMCT UC Davis)
- Chain-Up Delay Tracking and Estimation (Montana Tech)
- WeatherShare Maintenance (Montana Tech)
- WSRTC Meeting Coordination, Western States Forum, Website Maintenance (WTI-MSU)
During the summer, the AHMCT Research Center at UC Davis focused on Fotokite system exercise by DOTs, system troubleshooting, and discussions regarding pilot experiences thus far. They specifically investigated two topics: 1) premature ground landings and overheating components, and 2) impacts of different model year vehicles on flight times. AHMCT also looked into user-controlled resolution to potentially allow DOTs to utilize Fotokite in more applications.
Doug Galarus at Montana Tech continued work on the Chain-Up Delay Tracking and Estimation project and maintenance of the WeatherShare and One-Stop-Shop systems. While the winter in Northern California was mild, data collection overlapped with poor weather and known chain-up events at Fawndale. Caltrans brought additional Bluetooth sensor locations online for which access was tested, and data was downloaded for analysis. Data quality was monitored, and retrieval scripts for accessing critical data, including Caltrans Chain Requirements, CMS Messages, CCTV, and RWIS, were maintained. During data cleaning and preprocessing, timestamp issues were identified and resolved. Additionally, data feeds for the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) were migrated to a new server.
In July, six WSRTC individuals attended the NRITS/ITE Annual Meeting in Philadelphia where Doug Galarus and Jeremiah Pearce gave a presentation on the Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum.
The WSRTC Steering Committee convened for the annual meeting of the WSRTC on June 18th in Yreka, California. You can read the meeting's agenda (pdf), presentation (pdf), and official minutes (pdf) here and at the WSRTC Documents page.
The 19th Annual Western States Forum brought together 35 attendees from seven states, including representatives from state DOTs, universities, and research institutes. There were 14 first time attendees this year, 8 attending for the second time, 9 who have attended 3 to 7 events, and 4 people who have attended 11 or more Forums. The technical agenda included presentations on the following topics:
- Using hydrogen fuel cells to power TMS elements during Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events
- Tunnel lighting control
- Starlink satellite broadband communication services used in ITS field element networks
- A virtual coordination center
- Data analytics for the One-Stop-Shop (OSS)
- Implementing Variable Speed Limit (VSL) and Lane Control Sign (LCS) applications
- Update to a previous presentation on a statewide wrong way driver detection system
Please check back later for more updates on our current and upcoming projects!