Maintenance Decision SupportMaintenance Decision SupportSystem (MDSS)System (MDSS)

The FHWA Road Weather Management Program forThe FHWA Road Weather Management Program forDecision SupportDecision Support

Gary G. NelsonMitretek Systems Inc.gnelson@mitretek.org

202 488 5718

To the Second MDSS Prototype Review

Hanover, NH June 21, 2001

FHWA/Mitretek2

ContentsContents

Federal Highway Administration(FHWA)

Road Weather Management Program

Surface Transportation WeatherDecision Support Requirements

(STWDSR) project

Maintenance DecisionSupport System(MDSS) project

Mitr

etek

Rol

e

FHWA/Mitretek3

Mitretek RoleMitretek Role•Mitretek Systems, Inc., is a non-profit,

non-competitive, government servicescorporation

Created from Mitre in 1996 to servenon-FFRDC* work.

* Federally Funded Research andDevelopment Corporation

•Mitre/Mitretek has supported the FHWAIntelligent Transportation System (ITS)program since inception:

Research, program development,procurement support.

FHWA/Mitretek4

Federal Road Weather Programs

Federal HighwayAdministration

FHWA

Operations CoreBusiness Unit

Christine Johnson

HOP

Office of TransportationOperations

Shelley Row

HOTO

Road WeatherManagement Program

Paul Pisano

HOTO

Highway Research

Gary Larsen

HRD

Highway Research--Operations

Rudy Persaud

HRDO

ITS Joint ProgramOffice

Jeff Paniatti

ITS-JPO

National WeatherService

NWS

Public and FireWeather and other

NWS offices

AmericanAssociation of

State Highway andTransportation

Officials

AASHTO

Office of theFederal

Coordinator forMeteorology

Sam Williamson

OFCM

FHWA

Road Weather Program

Other USDOTAgencies

FAA, FTA, FRA,RSPA, USCG

Stakeholders:

State DOTs

Private Vendors

National Labs

FHWA/Mitretek5

Road Weather Management Program Goals

1. Develop improved weather informationsystems that meet the demands of all usersand operators;

2. Develop improved maintenancetechnologies for winter mobility, and;

3. Develop traffic operations/incidentmanagement procedures under all weatherevents.

FHWA/Mitretek6

Road Weather Management Program Objectives

a. Build relations between meteorologistsand transportation professionals…to createa common vision and support state efforts;

b. Improved decision support systems...;

c. Advanced maintenance technologies…;

d. Road weather management practices fortraffic and incident managers…;

e. Develop outreach materials...

FHWA/Mitretek7

The ITS

ImproveTransportation

Impact(Goals)

Scope of Road Weather Management Program

ImproveHighway

Operationsto meetGoals

Promote and DevelopInformation Systems

to SupportHighway Operations

(with respect to weather threats)

Road WeatherInformation Systems

(RWIS)

EnvironmentalSensor

Stations (ESS)

Define WeatherThreats

Improve Interfaces toImprove Interfaces to

MeteorologicalMeteorological

ServicesServices

FHWA/Mitretek8

1970-1997 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Road Weather Management Program Progress

Prior FHWAPrior FHWAresearch in RWISresearch in RWIS

FHWA WeatherTeam Formedfrom Rural ITS

ForetellProject launched

First RoadWeather

Symposium

Surface Transportation WeatherDecision Support Requirements

(STWDSR) Project

FHWA OperationsFHWA OperationsUnit formedUnit formed

MDSS ProjectLaunched

STWDSRMeetings

1 and 2

MDSSReviews1, 2 and 3

First OFCMWIST

Symposium

Second OFCMWIST

Symposium

FHWA/Mitretek9

STWDSR Scope

TheDecision

Maker

DecisionDecisionSupportSupportSystemSystem

(WIST(WIST--DSS)DSS)

The IntelligentTransportationSystem (ITS)

GoalsGoals

TheTheHighwayHighwaySystemSystem

++WeatherWeather

Outcomes/Goals

System Input

Safety

Mobility

Productivity

Environment

National SecurityNeeds (decisions)

Requirements

Computer-HumanInterface (CHI)

OperationalTechniques

(Output)

Environmental Conditions

State of the Highway System

State of Deployed Resources

FHWA/Mitretek10

MDSS

Major STWDSR DocumentsFHWA Weather

Team WhitePaper

1997-98

STWDSRV1.0 Needs

1999

StakeholderMeetings

Feb, May 2000

STWDSR V2.0 OperationalConcept Definition (OCD)

July, 2000

STWDSR V2.0 PreliminaryInterfaces Requirements (PIR)

October, 2000

STWDSR V3.0/V4.0

TM/EM/Traveler Needs

Impacts/Benefits

Operational Test Requirements

FHWA/Mitretek11

STWDSR DocumentationSTWDSR Documentation

• Electronic Documents Library

www.its.dot.gov/welcome.htm

• White Paper (1998)

• STWDSR V1.0

• STWDSR V2.0: Operational Concept Definition (OCD)

• STWDSR V2.0 Preliminary Interface Requirements (PIR)

• STWDSR V2.0 Executive Summary

• Contact: gnelson@mitretek.org

FHWA/Mitretek12

STWDSR Needs

Needs Matrix

44U

ser

Gro

up

s

ScalesWarning Operational Planning

426 decisions10 decisions

Operational ScaleWinter Road Maintenance

StakeholderMeetings:

Value Added Met.Services (VAMS)

Maintenance Managers(28 states)

National Labs (6)

53 Decisions

16Clustersby Time

Lead

STWDSR V1.0

STWDSR V2.0

FHWA/Mitretek13

Needs(Risk

Decisions)NeedsRisk

(Decisions)

STWDSR Operational Concept

External Information ResourcesTransportation, Environmental, Treatment Assets

Tailored Decision SupportTailored Decision SupportApplicationsApplications

(Filtering, Fusion, Presentation)(Filtering, Fusion, Presentation) Needs(Risk

Decisions)

Highway

Performance

Goals

Learning Feedback

Col

labo

rativ

eR

isk

Dec

isio

ns

FHWA/Mitretek14

System

Evolution

Open System ConceptOpen System Concept

A Road WeatherInformation System

(RWIS)

Stovepipe

A display

A display

RoadwayEnvironment

Some EnvironmentalSensor Station (ESS)

Observations

Some RoadWeather

Processes

A display

Swivel-chair

integration!!!

Open System

Other ITS info

*EnvironmentalInformationApplication

DecisionSupport

Application

Air/SeaEnvironment

Collection &Assimilation

EIA*

EIA*

EIA*

EIA*

ManyObservations

TreatmentAction!

FHWA/Mitretek15

The Scale Concept

ScalesTime Horizon

FunctionsCorrespondingWeatherScale

WinterRoadMaintenanceExample

Planning months +Provides resources.

Climatic Buyingequipment orchemicalstocks; Hiring and trainingstaff.

Operational hours to daysManages thedeployment ofresources.

Synoptic/meso Calling up crews, readyingvehicles, dispatchingtreatmentbeats.

Warning sub-seconds tominutesOperates theresources.

Micro Operating a treatment vehicle(snowplowand spreader);Controlof automaticequipment.

FHWA/Mitretek16

Needs (Decision) ClustersCluster ID, Name Confidence

%Time Lead

hrs.2.A Monitor Conditions 29.0

Aware 46 49.0Detect 95 3.8

2.B Prepare 40 41.02.C Get Ready 72 16.02.D Prepare Expendables 56 14.02.E Select Strategy 70 12.02.F Assign Crews 60 33.02.G Prepare Equipment 75 14.02.H Activate Staff 73 15.02.I Initial Dispatching 77 9.02.J Contracting 85 2.02.K Primary Dispatching 96 0.02.L Remedial Dispatching2.M Mid-Storm Management2.N Discretionary Dispatching2.O Termination2.P Cleanup

FHWA/Mitretek17

Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Project

• The MDSS is one realization of the STWDSROperational Concept Definition (OCD)

–For a set of functions and operational-scaledecisions of winter road managers

• Continues STWDSR stakeholder alliance

– National Labs will develop non-exclusivecomponents

– State DOTs will operate

– Vendors will provide and integrate into RoadWeather Information System (RWIS)

FHWA/Mitretek18

MDSS DocumentationMDSS Documentation

• FHWA Road Weather Management Website

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/mdss.pdf

• MDSS Project Plan

•...with Labs’ contacts

FHWA/Mitretek19

Federal Highways Administration (FHWA)Office of Transportation Operation (HOTO)

Paul PisanoRudy Persaud

Mitretek Systems

Gary Nelson

Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Project

Cold Regions Research & Engineering Lab (CRREL)MDSS Programmatic Lead Lab

George Blaisdell (Project Mgr.)

National Centerfor Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

MDSS Technical Lead Lab

Bill Mahoney (Project Mgr.)Rich Wagoner (Oversight)

Multiple Contracts

Single Contract

MITLincoln Lab

Bob Hallowell

NOAANational Severe

Storm Lab

John Cortinas

NOAAForecast Systems

Lab

Paul Schultz

NOAAEnvironmentalTechnologies

Lab

Dan Wolfe

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

PaulPisano, HOTO-1

AOTR: Rudy Persaud, HRDO-04Mitretek Systems

Gary Nelson

Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Project

Cold Regions Research & Engineering Lab (CRREL)MDSS Programmatic Lead Lab

George Blaisdell (Project Mgr.)

National Centerfor Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

MDSS Technical Lead Lab

Bill Mahoney (Project Mgr.)Rich Wagoner (Oversight)

Multiple Contracts

Single Contract

MITLincoln Lab

Bob Hallowell

NOAANational Severe

Storm Lab

John Cortinas

NOAAForecast Systems

Lab

Paul Schultz

NOAAEnvironmentalTechnologies

Lab

Dan Wolfe

FHWA/Mitretek20

Map to WIST-DSS Components

External Information Resources

* Letters refer to Appendicesof MDSS Project Plan

Generate Scenario Monitor Conditions Present/Make Decision

Update Context

ETLObserving System

Assessment

NumericalModels

Existing EnvironmentalObserving Systems

VideoProcessing

NSSLI

MIT/LLG

FSLH

Ensembles

PrecipitationAlgorithms

Transportation andTreatment Asset Data

NCARD

MDSS Road WeatherForecasting System(Environmental ThreatFusion)

CRRELE

CRRELD

CRRELF

RoadConditions

ChemicalConc.

SnowDrift

CRRELC

CRRELB

MDSS GISDisplay System

MDSS DecisionSupport Concepts

FHWA/Mitretek21

MDSS: BenchmarksMDSS: Benchmarks• Prototype Phase

First Prototype Review, January at NCAR

Second Prototype Review, now

Prototype demonstration (September)

• Further Development Phase

Notice of Intent (Federal Register, April)

Next presentation

FHWA/Mitretek22

Mitretek SupportMitretek Support• DOT representative travel funding

Submit original receipts!!!

• Needs, OCD and PIR tracking

• Monitor progress for FHWA

• Work for recognition/support within surfacetransportation community

Our job was to match expertise (National Labs)

with user needs and vendor opportunities.

From here on, this development track is up to the stakeholders.