ITS/CVISN Efforts in the Border Region

1. ITS/CVISN Efforts in the Border Region Border Partnership Working Group January 11, 2006 Al Kosik Traffic Operations Division TxDOT

2. Presentation Outline • Overview of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in TxDOT • Border Safety Inspection Facilities (BSIF) • Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN)

3. Intelligent Transportation Systems • The application of advanced technologies (computers, communications, electronics) to transportation problems • Congestion, incidents, safety, weather • Multiple technologies • Field equipment in harsh environments

4. The Need for ITS • Traffic volumes continue to increase • New construction is not keeping up • Impossible to simply “build our way” out of congestion • Transportation Management Centers (TMCs) can help ease congestion on the existing highway system

5. Benefits ofEffective ITS • Reductions in: • Motorist delay and queue length • Direct and indirect economic losses • Air pollution • Incident response times • Secondary collisions • A more efficient transportation system

6. Transportation Management Centers (TMCs) • TxDOT has 9 TMCs in operation • Large centers: Houston TranStar, 200 mi. of freeways, multiple agencies, large building, large operations floor • Small centers: Wichita Falls, a few cameras and signs, weather data, 2 workstations, part-time operator • TMCs operating in Laredo and El Paso

7. TxDOT’s 9 TMCs • Amarillo (PEGASIS) • Austin (CTECC) • Dallas (DalTrans) • El Paso (TransVista) • Fort Worth (TransVISION) • Houston (TranStar) • Laredo (STRATIS) • San Antonio (TransGuide) • Wichita Falls

8. Houston TranStar

9. TranStar operation’s floor

10. Amarillo TMC

11. Laredo STRATIS

12. Laredo operations

13. TMC Applications • Incident detection and management • Traveler information • Monitor system performance • Safety • Weather

14. Hurricane Rita Evacuation

15. ITS Field Equipment • Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) Detection (multiple technologies) Lane Control Signals Environmental Sensors Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) • Fiber backbone in urban areas; large communications systems • Leased wireline (ISDN, T1); Wireless

16. TxDOT ITS Program • $40M to $50M ITS projects let per year • $10M to $15M per year on maintenance, upgrades, and rehabilitation • 700 miles of highways with freeway systems • 395 DMS • Over 800 closed circuit ITS cameras • 100 miles of HOV lane systems • Over 700 miles of fiber optic cable backbone

17. Traffic Websites • Allow motorists to get information from their computer • Websites can provide: • Interactive maps of current conditions • Camera snapshots • Incident locations • DMS display information • Travel times • Text messages

18. Rural ITS • Flood warning • Ice, winter weather • Fog • Traveler, tourist information • Alternate routes • Remote CCTV at strategic locations • Future: corridor information (I35, I40, I10)

19. Need for Rural ITS • Why? • 80 % of Nations roads are in rural & small urban areas (under 50,000 population) • Rural roads < 40% annual vehicle miles, but > 60% traffic fatalities • Work zone fatalities on non-Interstate roads 3 times higher • Average twice as long for crash notification and victim transfer

20. Statewide Development and Integration (SDI) Program • Standard statewide software modules (TMC) - realistically 80% • Write once, use many times • Reduce lifetime maintenance costs • Well documented, defined interfaces • System Engineering process • National standards • Software modules are in operation • BSIF software developed by SDI contractor • Southwest Research Institute (contractor)

21. Signal for complex intersection

22. Border Safety Inspection Facilities (BSIF) • 8 locations planned at border crossings • Standard design • 2 in El Paso under construction • Operated by DPS • Very automated process (eventually) • Standard software modules; write once, use many times

23. BSIF Equipment • DMS • Detection • Transponder readers • Cameras (surveillance and snapshot) • Oversize detection • Weigh-in-Motion • Static scales

24. Facility Layout

25. WIM

26. Visual Inspection

27. Current development activities • Development underway for BOTA (El Paso) • Flow management, DMS, CCTV, RFID tags, presence detection, weigh-in-motion, scales, dimensional checks • Interface with DPS safety information • Reuse of software • Existing statewide ITS subsystems • BSIF modules to be developed and shared • Subsequent deployments under review: • Zaragoza (El Paso) • Eagle Pass (Laredo)

28. Border Wildlife

29. Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) • Multiple agencies sharing data • TxDOT, DPS, Comptroller • Common CVISN data base • Single point of contact, electronic • Completed top level design and business plan • Working group and steering committee established

30. CVISN… • The collection of information systems and communications networks that support CVO. • Includes information systems owned and operated by governments, motor carriers, and other stakeholders. • Provides a framework for parties engaged in CVO safety assurance and regulation to exchange information and conduct business transactions electronically. • The goal is to improve the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicle operations. • Core Compliance includes: Safety Information Exchange, E-Credentialing, E-Screening.

31. CVISN – Planned TX Architecture

32. CVISN Status • Summary • Participants (DPS, CPA, and TxDOT) will share safety and credentialing data via TexVIEW • Motor carriers will be able to apply for and renew credentials online • Working group meeting of participants to determine status is being planned. • TexVIEW and One-Stop need to be developed. • Once developed, existing systems will be modified to tie into these new systems • BSIF will utilize CVISN data for safety inspections

33. Questions or Comments? • Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment