Post on 03-Feb-2022
Traveler Information In Virginia
August 15, 2008
Scott Cowherd
Statewide Travel Information Program Manager
Operations and Security Division
2
Table of Contents
• 511 History
• 511 Summary
• 511 Virginia Phone System
• 511 Virginia Web Site
• 511 Virginia Changes
• Additional Travel Information Programs
• Marketing
3
511 Virginia
Have you seen this sign?
4
History of 511Virginia
July 2000-Virginia launched its I-81 regional travel information service under the name Travel Shenandoah, from the West VA border to Lexington, VA
4th State to launch
130 miles of I-81 corridor
1-800 # to call
February 2002-Travel Shenandoah became 511 Virginia
New three-digit phone number
New web address
Expanded service to the entire length of the I-81 corridor, 325 miles.
February 2005 - 511 Virginia launched statewide
August 2007- 511 Virginia Expanded the service
5
Why 511 Virginia?
We want you to know what we know so you can make better travel decisions!
6
Using 511 Virginia
In-state, dial 511
Out-of-state, dial 1-866-MY511VA (695-1182)
Callers can also transfer to all sister states 511 telephone services
7
Information Sources
• VDOT sources
• Virginia State Police
• Local authorities
• Travelers like you
– Reporting directly to VDOT
8
Voice activated menu options:
• Highways/Traffic
• Bridges and Tunnels
• Public transportation / Multi-modal
• Weather information
• Other states
Calling 511 Virginia
9
The 511 Virginia Phone (IVR) System
August - 2007 Changes
10
The 511 Virginia Phone (IVR) System
511 Virginia Additions
• “Traffic” option moved to the front
• New Main Menu item for “Public Transportation and Commuting Options”
• Interruptible option
• 15 Commuter Service Programs (Ridesharing, Commuter Connections and Carpools)
• 16 Metro Areas
• 20 Bridges and Tunnels
• 41 Rest Areas and Welcome Centers
11
The 511 Virginia Phone (IVR) System
511 Virginia Additions, Continued
• 330 Roads
• 50+ Public Transportation Providers
• 95 Counties
• 616 Cities and Towns
• E-mail alerts for your personalized travel
• Sub-tier IVR for special events
• Numerous Other Changes
12
The 511 Virginia Phone (IVR) System
• More user-friendly system based on user comments.
• Totally rebuilt phone system that:
– Totally redesigned menu
– Adding direct request to “I-81” as an example
– Adding direct access to “Bridge and Tunnel” information
– Allow ownership of code to VDOT
– Increased the roads covered
– Allow porting of system through one hosting facility
– Increase multi-modal content (transit, ferry info)
– Able to offer a sub-tier menu for special events (i.e. Big Walker)
15
511 Virginia Web Site
• 400 + Web cams
• Information about more than 26,000 points of interest.
• Driving directions with an interactive map displaying delays along travel routes
• Information about statewide events and much more
16
511 Virginia Changes
Coming in 2008
• New-look web site with:
– Personalized features
– Sub-tiered web sites for Metro areas
– Increase multi-modal content (transit, ferry info)
– New layout and maps (add screen shots)
– E-mail Alerts (add screen shot)
– My Control Room (add screen shot)
17
Summary before the August Launch
Phone System
• Received 3.53 million calls from February 2002 thru May 2007
• A 31% increase in calls from May 2006 to May 2007
• Average call duration is 2 minutes
• Usage trends continued:
– Seasonal travel (mostly summer)
– Weather-related (mostly snow, flooding, T.S. Ernesto)
– Holiday weekends
18
Phone SystemAugust Monthly Report
19
Overview
• August 2007 was the first month of the second generation statewide 511 Virginia IVR.
• The new system logged a record number of calls for a month – more than 200,000
• The system surpassed one million calls for calendar year 2007 and four million calls since its launch in February 2002
• We are now receiving more than 2 million calls a year!
20
Overview, Continued
• Most of the Cities requested were in the Hampton Roads area
• Most of the Counties requested are along I-81
• Specific cities in Hampton Roads and specific bridges / tunnels
• The ability to select a bridge / tunnel via an abbreviated touch tone code (1 *) is very popular
21
Requests per menu level
Rest Areas
Main Menu/Traffic
Bridges and Tunnels
Weather
Public Transportation
Planned Construction
Other States
Other Choices
179,850 Requests179,850 Requests
369 Requests369 Requests
12,284 Requests12,284 Requests
3,373 Requests3,373 Requests
725 Requests725 Requests
915 Requests915 Requests
527 Requests527 Requests
22
Additional Traveler
Information Projects
and Marketing
23
Welcome Centers and Malls
New Monitor Information
24
Welcome Centers
NEW LOOK! Fredericksburg Center
25
Welcome Centers
NEW LOOK! WB New Kent Center
26
Marketing Plan 2008
• Radio
• Transit
• Billboards
• Gas Pump Toppers
• Media (TV stations)
27
Marketing Plan 2008
• Mapquest Banner Ads for anyone requesting information for VA
• Yahoo.com for anyone requesting information for VA
• Magazine Advertisements
• Rack Card Brochures
28
Signs
Static Message Signs
• 219 Signs
• Adding signs at all Welcome Centers, Interstates and Major Airports
31
Traveler Information
VaTraffic Upgrade
• Enhanced operational capabilities for managing planned and unplanned events affecting transportation
• Improved incident reporting and analysis capabilities
• Statewide data/incident management integration with the regionalTraffic Management Centers (TMC) and the Transportation Emergency Operations Center (TEOC)
• Accurate and more efficient real time data feeds to the 511 Virginia Service
• A VDOT global database for archiving verified information to support system performance monitoring
32
Traveler Information
PSAP Integration• 127 Public Safety Announcement Point (PSAP) E911 centers in VA
• Benefits of PSAP Integration – real-time information on all primary and secondary roadways
– provides a central access point for consolidated data
– VDOT traffic camera imagery to all first-responder centers thru Statewide Video Distribution System
• Cost to integrate a center is $100,000-$125,000.
Regional Activity- Five TMC’s
• Eastern Region-15 PSAP Centers, 9 Primary– By June 2008, OSD provided $500,000 to finish the Regional Transportation Incident Management
Information System (RTIMIS) and integrate Norfolk, Newport News and Suffolk centers. The Eastern region is also investing another $400,000-$500,000 to integrate four or five more centers by the end of 2008.
• Southwestern region has identified Roanoke County, Lynchburg, Washington County and Campbell County as primary centers for 2008 integration. Meetings are being scheduled.
• Northwestern region has completed integration with one of the primary centers. Meetings are being scheduled with other centers.
• Northern region is completing the integration with one of their primary centers and will be moving their TMC into a joint operations facility this year. Four more county centers have been identified as primary for 2008.
33
Traveler Information
Travel Times
Vehicle Probe Data
• VDOT was a partner in writing the RFP, the evaluation process and selecting the contractor through the bid review/selection process for this program. We were part of the evaluation team in March 07, and announced award in December 07.
• Current coverage in Virginia under the core contract has 692 of Highway and 191 miles of arterial coverage:
– I-95/395/495/66/295/64/895/195
– US-1/301/207/234/17/29/10/123
• The data will be available July 1, 2008 through two modes:– A direct feed for state’s to populate information directly into their existing service
– A monitor site to view data on the entire corridor and all other states (restricted to use by DOT only)
• This information received through the feed can be overlaid for use on existing maps.
• States are able to expand their roadway coverage through a task order for $150 to develop and deploy per mile (one time fee) and $750 per mile/per year
34
Traveler Information
Travel Times
Travel Time Task Force Committee
Held the first meeting in December Reviewed the objective of the committee
• Centralized Coordination
• Knowledge sharing
• Develop a statewide policy, standard and vision
• For this committee to work as a resource for the state
Special presentation by Inrix on the Vehicle Probe Project
Everyone agreed that this is great committee and to continue the effort
Held the second meeting March 11thBrian Smith (UVA) facilitated our meeting
15 people attended from 10:30a.m.-4:00p.m.
Great feedback from all folks on what they are doing in their regions
35
Traveler Information
Travel Times
UVA Task-Brian Smith
The intent of this task is to develop a statewide strategic plan identifying:
Data Requirements
Data Standards
Baseline data
Refresh Rates
Accuracy Rate
When to disseminate (i.e. 24 hours or peck hours, reoccurring vs. non-reoccurring congestions)
Validation process
Sources of data
36
Traveler Information
Travel Times
PBS&J Regionalization Strategic Plan Development
Hired to develop a short term and long term strategic plan for statewide Travel Information Program
Identifying best practices from a national perspective
Identifying how to disseminate the travel time data through the 511 website/IVR
37
Traveler Information
Travel Times
Baseline Recommendations:
Provide Travel Speed information on the 511 service (as soon as possible)
Work with the TMC’s to integrate the Inrix feed into their IM systems at the same time VaTraffic. Therefore, the TMC’s can disseminate this information over their CMS and HAR systems (phase II of VaTraffic in Oct/Nov,08)
Expand the coverage onto other arterial roadways (anytime)
Timeline:
Receive the PBS&J Strategic Plan June, 08
Receive the UVA Strategic Plan June, 08
VDOT develops the statewide vision (obtaining management approval)
Evaluate other regional efforts
Hampton Roads/ NOVA – Traffic.com contract (under contract now)
Larry Caldwell’s sensor expansion (deploying now)
38
Traveler Information
• Floodgate Message Users Guide
–Developing a consistent policy for satisfying all statewide needs
–Identifying the many uses for a floodgate manual
–Identifying the level of dissemination:
•Statewide
•Metro areas
•Counties
•Cities and towns
•Specific roadways
• HAR Matrix
–Developing and assessment of each regions HAR system
–Evaluating the usefulness vs. new technology advancements
• DMS /CMS Policy
–Updating the current policy to meet the growing needs
–New partnership agreements to support campaigns
39
Traveler Information
Regionalization
• Traveler Information & 511 Strategic Plan
– Short Term and Long Term Goals
– Identifying how to stay on top of changes in technology
– Identify Specific Regional Needs
– Identifying Specific Statewide Needs
– Identifying How To Implement Travel Times /Speeds in 511
• SOPP (Statewide Systems Operations Program Plan)
– Identifying the current operations throughout VDOT
– Identifying changes to meet the short and long term goals for the agency
40
Scott Cowherd
Statewide Travel Information Program Manager
511 Virginia Project Manager
Operations and Security Division
(804) 786-2451
Scott.Cowherd@VDOT.Virginia.gov