Message from the Managing Director
By Patrick Son

As we go into this holiday weekend to get the supposed largest savings we get from retailers which justifies the purchase of our TVs, sound systems, clothes and other “very useful” items that we need, it behooves us to take a moment and reflect on the savings/benefits that are being provided through TSMO. 

As I and other NOCoE staff travel around and meet with TSMO professionals, we know that the benefits from TSMO are there. While we don’t have the market visibility of a Black Friday or Cyber Monday to promote these to the general public, we do have the opportunity to share these benefits to the communities we serve. These benefits come from TSMO improvements in business processes, projects and decisions which have positive effects that last long after the sales have finished. 

I encourage all of you to start thinking about what TSMO benefits you can share through your own agency so that we can all move from supposed large savings and benefits to actual and meaningful benefits. And by all means, please let us help you share those benefits (we're always an open door for anyone that wants to share resources).

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Webinar: Deployment of Advanced Weather Responsive Traffic Management Strategies Using Mobile and Connected Vehicle Technologies

Date & Time: December 6th, 2016, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., EST 

Brief Description: This webinar will present the mobile data collection and communications technologies implemented by Wyoming, South Dakota and Michigan Departments of Transportation to improve their traffic management and operations capabilities in adverse weather.  These implementation projects were supported by the FHWA Weather Responsive Traffic Management Program and included an evaluation of the benefits of the deployments.

The specific applications to be covered are:

Wyoming DOT’s Road Condition Reporting and Traffic/Maintenance Management using Electronic Tablets – Vince Garcia
South Dakota DOT’s Mobile Data Collection Technology for Improved Road Weather Condition Estimation, Forecasting and Dissemination – Dave Huft
Michigan DOT’s Weather-Responsive Traveler Information System using Integrated Fixed and Mobile Road Weather Observations  - Steve Cook 
Please click here to register and here for more information. 

Research Data Exchange Adds More Data Environments for Download

The RDE has added a number of new data environments that are available free to the public. The RDE is a web-based portal that provides access to archived and real-time multi-source and multi-modal data to support the development and testing of intelligent transportation system (ITS) related applications and transportation management operational strategies.

The following new data environments are now available for download: 

• Intelligent Network Flow Optimization (INFLO) Simulation is a VISSIM simulation model for the US 101 freeway corridor in San Mateo, CA. T

• Seattle I-405 was generated by the Trajectory Conversion Algorithm Version 2.3 using the SAE J2735 Basic Safety Message (BSM) based on the I-405 corridor in Seattle, WA.

• Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) San Mateo Testbed was used to model and simulate mobility applications including INFLO (queue warning, speed harmonization, and cooperative adaptive cruise control) and Multi-Modal Intelligent Traffic Signal Systems. 

• AMS Dallas Testbed was used to test several active transportation and demand management strategies including dynamic shoulder lane, dynamic signal timing, dynamic routing, ramp metering, and dynamic priced parking. 

Please click here for more information on these new data environments.

 

Webinar: TRB Annual 2017 Meeting Preview 2017-Evolving the Next Generation of TSMO Research

Date & Time: December 13th, 2016, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., EST

Brief Description: NOCoE will host this webinar, which will offer meeting highlights of the following: National Operations Center of Excellence update, AASHTO Subcommittee on TSMO Research Working Group update, TRB Committee Annual Meeting TSMO highlights, FHWA TSMO Research Directions, TSMO Research Directions at ITE and ITSA.

Please click here to register. 

ITE/NOCoE Position Opening: Technical Program Associate

This position with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) offers the opportunity to impact your profession as a key staff member helping to define and address issues facing the management and operations of the transportation system and find ways to connect your peers to address these issues.

As a technical program associate, you will assist and facilitate the work of volunteer committees and consultants to support ITE’s strategic objectives in the practice of transportation system management and operations. Duties include:
•Conducting technical activities in transportation;
•Organizing and managing delivery of professional capacity building activities and workshop development;
•Creating, coordinating and expanding collaborative activities with partner organizations, public agencies, and industry groups;
•Supporting advisory groups and stakeholder communities; and
•Supporting the technical services program of the National Operations Center of Excellence.  The successful candidate will spend at least half of their time performing this function. 
Please click here for additional information on this position. 

Webinar: Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Program Plan Development Roundtable

Date & Time: Date & Time: December 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., EST

Brief description:  Transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) - refers to multimodal transportation strategies to maximize the efficiency, safety, and utility of existing and planned transportation infrastructure. Strategies including but not limited to, traffic incident management, traffic signal coordination, freeway management, transit signal priority and bus rapid transit, freight management,work zone management, special event management, and road weather management.

Agencies that have completed their TSMO Program Plan development will conduct a TSMO Program Plan roundtable. These agencies will provide information on their experiences during the development of their respective plans. Information such organizing to get regional input from stakeholders; Developing Regional, Agency, and Program Plan goals, objectives and strategies in a fashion that links them all together; making the case of TSMO to the decision makers; and lastly, allow time for an open forum discussion with the attendees. 

Please click here to register and here for additional information.