Focus Group Results: Maintenance Equipment and Technologies

Facilitator: Duane Smith, ISU/CTRE
Date: June 14, 2004

  1. Developing an Automated Real-Time Data Collection System
  2. Improving Snow Plow Design
  3. Developing Public Warning Systems
  4. Developing the Maintenance Decision Support System

Team Members

Duane Smith (ISU/CTRE), Dennis Kroeger (ISU/CTRE), Jim Dowd (Iowa DOT), Phil Heinlen (Iowa DOT), Jim Bane (Iowa DOT), Mike Krohn (Iowa DOT), Dick Hanneman (Salt Institute), John Somerville (UNI), Dalyce Ronnau (Nebraska DOR), Jerry Horner (North Dakota DOT), Jeff Vander Zwaag (Iowa DOT), Paul Cammack (University of North Dakota), Harold Dameron (Illinois DOT), Tony Sebben (Iowa DOT), Bill Shuler (Iowa DOT), Jon Smithberg (Goodrich Corporation), Brad Osborne (Iowa DOT), Kenneth Morrow (Iowa DOT), Mark Black (Iowa DOT), Andy Holverson (Henderson Manufacturing), Chris Body (Grey Island Systems), Kevin Davis (Monroe Truck Equipment)

Initiative #1: Developing an Automated Real-Time Data Collection System (59 votes)

1. Background and Problem Statement

Snow plow operators and maintenance supervisors need to make quick and precise decisions when fighting winter storms. To make these decisions appropriately, they need accurate and reliable road condition and weather information and short-term (1-2 hour) forecasts. In addition, the information needs to be delivered to them in a simple format that can be readily understood even while in a plow truck delivering services.

2. Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to develop automated systems and methods that gather necessary data for winter maintenance operators and supervisors. The systems should:

  1. Identify required data on road weather conditions and short-term forecast conditions.
  2. Identify sources of those data and verify its timeliness, reliability and accuracy. Such sources might include appurtenances on snow plows, commercial trucks, or taxicabs that determine road surface conditions (for example, friction measuring device or Frensor freezing point detection devices).
  3. Identify technologies to integrate required data, receiving inputs in various formats and integrating it into a single format.
  4. Evaluate reporting systems and required technologies to convert the integrated data into useful format(s), including paper and electronic reports.
  5. Identify systems to validate and calibrate these systems and methods based on actual storm events.

3. Resource Needs and Time Frame

The research team should consist of RWIS experts, winter maintenance experts, FHWA personnel, AASHTO members, state DOT personnel, and NCAR staff. The project will take about two years to accomplish a study and require approximately $100,000 in funding to cover a couple of winter seasons. A pooled-fund could be utilized to cover different areas of research.

4. Intended Users

Potential users would include state and local governments.

5. Implementation

State highway agencies, weather service providers, universities, and technology providers would be able to participate in the implementation.

6. Other Outside Parties

Other potential parties have yet to be determined.

Initiative #2: Improving Snow Plow Design (47 votes)

1. Background and Problem Statement

Snow plow truck design improvements are needed to increase vehicle conspicuity to other vehicles and improve operators’ visibility of the roadway situation. The speed differential between plows and the traveling public is a perceived problem. Plows operating at lower speeds during their operations often cause congestion. It may be advantageous for plows to operate at or near the speed of traffic on the roadways, which is termed “high speed plowing”. High speed plowing may also have economic benefits since plow units can cover their routes more quickly, reducing the number of required vehicles, and thus reducing equipment and labor requirements.

2. Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to develop and evaluate systems and methods to enhance the operational efficiency and safety of winter maintenance vehicles. The research would

  1. Investigate systems that enhance visibility of plow operators, including lighting systems.
  2. Investigate the safety and congestion impacts of speed differential between plows and traffic.
  3. Investigate the conspicuity of snow plows and methods to increase vehicle conspicuity.
  4. Investigate systems that enhance operator visibility of conditions around plows.
  5. Investigate appurtenances on snow plows that determine road surface conditions (for example, friction measuring device or Frensor freezing point detection device).
  6. Investigate feasibility of collision avoidance systems.
  7. Investigate feasibility of “heads up displays” (HUD) and lane departure warning systems.

3. Resource Needs and Time Frame

We recommend that this activity become a two-year program, possibly housed under a pooled-fund program of several states. Significant resources are required to proceed with the above agenda of research activities. Therefore, we recommend that $500,000 is allocated to initiate activities of greatest importance.

4. Intended Users

Potential users would include state and local governments.

5. Implementation

State highway agencies and technology providers would be able to participate in the implementation.

6. Other Outside Parties

Other parties have yet to be determined.

Initiative #3: Developing Public Warning Systems (16 votes)

1. Background and Problem Statement

Drivers, particularly older drivers, lack usable and understandable data to make informed driving decisions. This is true despite the fact that significant amounts of data about adverse weather and roadway conditions are readily available. In-vehicle systems are needed to provide the driving public with usable, understandable information in a uniform format alerting drivers in a timely manner to congestion-inducing work zones, road closures, slow-moving vehicles, and road surface conditions. This information should also identify to the driver the potential options to mitigate conditions (e.g. take a different route, slow down, etc.). Vehicles should then incorporate technologies that automate certain responses (e.g. loss of traction automatically overrides cruise control).

2. Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to identify, assess, and develop a system to integrate and format road weather and traffic condition data and to develop a method or methods of transmitting this information to drivers of private passenger and commercial vehicles. The research will

  1. Assess what information drivers require for safe vehicle operation, including road surface conditions, traffic conditions and local weather conditions.
  2. Assess data sources for timeliness, reliability, and accuracy.
  3. Develop or identify technologies that can deliver this information to drivers.
  4. Develop or identify technologies to automate safety responses to adverse roadway, weather, and traffic conditions and provide drivers with advice on additional optional actions.

3. Resource Needs and Time Frame

It is recommended that this activity be addressed over a two-year time frame. It is also recommended that $300,000 be allocated to this effort.

4. Intended Users

Potential users would include private and commercial drivers and their passengers as well as road maintainers and emergency medical personnel. The latter two groups who would have less liability and less demand respectively.

5. Implementation

State highway agencies and universities would be able to participate in the implementation.

6. Other Outside Parties

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may be another interested party.

Initiative #4: Developing the Maintenance Decision Support System (32 votes)

1. Background and Problem Statement

The FHWA Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) program needs to be developed further, providing needed tools for snowfighters. There is a need for rapid, reliable identification of proper snowfighting tactics, based on weather and road conditions and agency policies and equipment. The MDSS should incorporate means to share information with neighboring agencies and among local organizations who would benefit from this information (e.g. emergency response providers, highway patrols, etc.).

2. Research Objectives

The objective of this research will be to

  1. Evaluate data needs, building on the FHWA MDSS tool.
  2. Develop performance measures for roadway conditions, including traffic speed, congestion, road surface conditions, and crash incidence.
  3. Provide a means to incorporate into the model local agency policies and equipment availability.
  4. Develop an automated information processing capability to generate tactical options for snowfighting managers and operators in their vehicles.
  5. Develop winter severity index to enable post-season evaluation of the effectiveness of the available options and the options chosen.

3. Resource Needs and Time Frame

It is recommended that this activity be addressed over a two or three-year time frame. It is also recommended that $300,000 per year be allocated to this effort. Potential funding sources include AASHTO, NASA, NAS, and private weather vendors.

4. Intended Users

Potential users would include snowfighting management and operators, emergency responders, highway patrol, elected policy-makers, and concerned citizens.

5. Implementation

Potential implementers include NOAA, state pooled funds, and a Midwestern university research center.

6. Other Outside Parties

Other potential parties include private weather vendors.