UPDATE: Monday, April 20th, 2015
COATS Phase 6 is facilitating ongoing technology transfer through the Western States Forum and continued demonstration and evaluation of ITS technologies through several incubator projects. The Western States Rural Transportation Consortium (WSRTC) states of California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada have identified the following incubator projects for further demonstration of ITS technologies in a rural context. This will provide benefit for stakeholders both within and outside the COATS region. Quarterly progress on these projects is outlined below:
Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum
During the first quarter of 2015, planning continued for the annual Forum, a meeting focused on providing technology transfer and networking opportunities for professionals working in design, implementation and maintenance of ITS technologies in rural environments.
Photo by Doug Galarus.
Abstracts for Forum presentations were selected midway through the quarter. This year’s agenda will feature presenters from six states, covering a diverse array of subjects in rural ITS. First drafts of presentations were received and reviewed at the end of the quarter. The project team continued work on the various logistics of the Forum event. Planning for meals and networking activities continued, and a registration brochure was distributed via mail and electronically. Web presence was updated to reflect the latest information about the 2015 Forum.
In the upcoming quarter, second drafts of Forum presentations will be reviewed, additional feedback will be sent to presenters, and final versions will be due a month before the Forum. The final agenda will be set and participant notebooks will be created. General event organization and planning, including meals, networking activities, and travel reimbursement will continue.
The 10th Annual Forum will be held in Yreka, California, June 16th-18th, 2015. For more information about the 2015 Forum, visit the Forum website at www.westernstatesforum.org.
Year 1 Incubator Projects
During the first year of the COATS 6
effort, the research team will complete two incubator projects -
low-cost research efforts that serve as a “proof of concept” to
potentially develop into a larger effort in the future or answer
research questions in a limited scope. Progress on these
incubator projects is described below.
Technology Incubator: Data Quality for Aggregation and Dissemination of DOT Traveler Information: An Analysis of Existing System Best Practices
Data quality is an important consideration
for the provision of traveler information. It has generally been
handled on an ad-hoc basis, with little or no provision for
error notification other than perhaps through user-reporting of
observed errors. In light of this, the goal of this project is
to analyze and document existing system best practices for data
quality for the aggregation and dissemination of state
department of transportation traveler information.
Surveys were conducted with individuals
from the following DOT’s: California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,
Oregon, Utah and Washington. Preliminary contacts were made with
personnel at the Colorado and Wyoming DOT’s. Arizona and New
Mexico DOTs were also contacted via an introductory email.
In the oncoming quarter, interviews will be
sought with representatives of the Arizona, Colorado, New
Mexico, and Wyoming state DOTs. The project team will compile a
draft report on the state of the practice for traveler
information data quality.
Safety/Operations Incubator: Evaluation of the Fredonyer Summit Icy Curve Warning System –Before and After Study of Long-Term Effectiveness
The Fredonyer Pass Icy Curve Warning System
(ICWS) was deployed by Caltrans on State Highway 36 to increase
driver vigilance and reduce the number of crashes occurring
during icy pavement conditions in real-time.
An initial evaluation
performed during the COATS Phase 4 project evaluated the short
term (1 ½ years) performance of the system following its
deployment in the winter of 2008-2009.
For this incubator project, the research team will
examine the speed and crash trends for the system over the
longer term (2008-2009 to 2014-2015 winter seasons).
Work on this project included acquisition
of speed, safety, weather and chain control datasets.
Data processing activities, namely quality control and
formatting for speed and weather data were completed.
Initial analysis of the 2010 through 2014 seasons of
speed data was also completed, with results showing similar
trends to those observed during the initial 2008 through 2010
analysis.
Work during the next quarter will include
the speed data analysis (including acquisition of remaining
2014-15 winter season data), crash data analysis and interviews
with ITS, maintenance and highway patrol staff, with draft
report development to follow.
Year 2 Incubator Projects
Bluetooth Evaluation for Siskiyou Summit Chain-Control Chain-Up Area North of Redding
For this incubator project, the research
team will utilize Bluetooth readers to develop a preliminary
prototype algorithm to predict delays through a chain-up area.
Activities this quarter included wrapping
up vendor inquiries and summarizing results in a document
entitled, “Prospective Deployment Recommendations and Sources
for Bluetooth Readers.” This document was sent to Caltrans
midway through the quarter and included a summary of prior
recommendations for equipment deployment locations.
Further work on this project is deferred
pending Caltrans’ review of the deployment recommendations and
sources document.
Long-Term Operational and Safety Impacts of Radar Speed Signs
More information about this project will be
posted when work begins in Year 2.
Check back next quarter to read more about the progress and
status of the COATS projects.