To better inform its decision making about where to deploy and how to operate its traffic management systems, WSDOT needs information on the performance of its growing set of traffic management strategies. It also needs better decision support tools that describe predicted and actual performance benefits. These tools must provide integrated, real-time information that feeds each step in WSDOT’s business process, from initial needs identification through performance monitoring and reporting.
As part of ongoing work, TRAC has developed, improved, and operated a data archive and decision support system called TRACFLOW, and it produces a variety of performance measures that both WSDOT and TRAC staff commonly apply in a variety of analyses. However, that system does not answer basic question for all steps in WSDOT’s business process, nor are data currently well connected to its existing business process. The UW and WSDOT have also been developing a replacement traffic data archive and analytics platform called DRIVENet that is intended to add data elements and new capabilities and to dramatically speed up the computation of roadway performance statistics. However, that data system is not yet ready for consistent use. In addition, WSDOT is currently revising its business processes to support decision making that is both more data driven and multi-modal. This creates the need for more, better, and different data, metrics, and analytical procedures.
This project will help the WSDOT in publishing its Gray Notebook and provide guidance in the continued development of DRIVENet and the transition from TRACFLOW, as well provide technical assistance on a range of other requested topics and assist in developing other performance measures that facilitate Department decision making.
Principal Investigators:
Mark E. Hallenbeck, Washington State Transportation Center, UW
John M. Ishimaru, Washington State Transportation Center, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Monica Harwood
WSDOT Project Manager: Doug Brodin
Scheduled completion: June 2017