Focus Group Results: Intermodal Traffic

Facilitator: Neil Volmer, Iowa DOT
Date: June 14, 2004

  1. Establishing a Flood Monitoring and Prediction System
  2. Integrating Multimodal Data into Traveler Information

Team Members

Neil Volmer (Iowa DOT), Chris Albrecht (ISU/CTRE), Diane McCauley (Iowa DOT), Mike Marr (Iowa DOT), Bill Flannery (Des Moines Airport - Retired)

Initiative #1: Establishing a Flood Monitoring and Prediction System (21 votes)

1. Background and Problem Statement

Flash flooding is a serious safety concern in the upper Midwest, causing more fatalities each year than any other natural disaster/weather event in Iowa and several other states. Flooding impacts both rail and roadway traffic (automobiles, commercial vehicles, transit vehicles, and school buses transportation). Currently, there is no dependable system in place to convey flood risk to the transportation system users.

2. Research Objectives

The objective of this effort is to

  1. Identify where key/critical transportation/waterway systems intersect.
  2. Prioritize these points based on overall risk (based on flood risk, VMT, etc.)
  3. Develop a flood monitoring/prediction system.
  4. Implement the system and disseminate information on warnings and re-routings at critical times to the critical end users

3. Resource Needs and Time Frame

The research team should include traffic engineers, traffic management specialists, law enforcement personnel, USGS personnel, meteorologists, monitoring equipment manufacturers, software/system integrators, school transportation providers, local government representatives, rail companies, and university researchers. This project would last approximately 2 years and cost approximately $500,000.

4. Intended Users

This system could be used by federal, state and local governments, transit operators, the general motoring public, AAA, and school transportation operators.

5. Implementation

All transportation agencies operating highways could potentially be implementers.

6. Other Outside Parties

Other parties have not been determined.

Initiative #2: Integrating Multimodal Data into Traveler Information (2 votes)

1. Background and Problem Statement

Currently, there is a lack of useable intermodal-specific traveler information for road users traveling to multimodal facilities (i.e. risking driving in a snowstorm to reach an airport where flights may be cancelled). In addition, it is difficult for travelers to locate good information on intermodal connections. As a result, travelers may take uninformed and unnecessary risks during inclement weather.

2. Research Objectives

The objective of this effort is to

  1. Integrate readily available airline flight and passenger train data/information into mainstream traveler information systems to create an integrated information system to accommodate all modes.
  2. Increase monitoring on roads connecting intermodal facilities and integrate local road conditions into flight and train schedule information.

3. Resource Needs and Time Frame

The research team should include traffic engineers, traffic management specialists, meteorologists, monitoring equipment manufacturers, software/system integrators, intermodal transportation providers, local government representatives, and university researchers. This project would last approximately 2 years and cost approximately $500,000.

4. Intended Users

This system could be used by transit operators, airlines, Amtrak, the general motoring public, FAA, and AAA.

5. Implementation

All transportation agencies operating highways, transit operators, airport and airlines, and Amtrak could potentially be implementers.

6. Other Outside Parties

Other partners have not been identified.