Impacts of Technology Advancements on Transportation Management Center Operations

Appendix B – TMC Manager Checklists for Coordination of TMC Processes within the Broader Organizational Context

❑ Develop TMC Business Plan

❑ Base the business plan on agency goals and objectives

❑ Demonstrate in the plan how the TMC supports and furthers agency goals and objectives

❑ Include plan for long-range TMC vision and goals

❑ Outline requirements for executing the plan, such as operational, staffing, and interface requirements

❑ Use Checklist for Identifying Strategies to determine those strategies that will translate into specific action items

❑ Initiate involvement in developing coordinated regional programs

❑ Assign a TMC representative to attend regional planning meetings that have other local agencies, commissions, and councils on the roster

❑ Research lessons learned on establishing multi-agency programs

❑ Volunteer TMC data and decision support tools to other agency divisions

❑ Volunteer decision support tools to help create annual maintenance and preservation budgets

❑ Share historic traffic data in strategic planning situations

❑ Assume a principal role in regional planning efforts

❑ Conduct tours of the TMC with other agency staff

❑ Reach out to other agency divisions or regions and offer to host a tour

❑ Distribute Fact Sheet on TMC devices as a form of calling card

❑ Volunteer to conduct tours of the TMC with external agencies and groups

❑ Reach out to the local community to start “marketing” efforts

❑ Reach out to local colleges and universities to generate interest in TMC data and operations from undergrads and researchers

❑ Designate a webpage on the TMC within the agency website

❑ Engage the local media in doing a segment on “a day at the TMC”

❑ Identify training opportunities that the TMC could initiate for internal agency staff in other departments, such as on traveler information tools and resources, TMC capabilities, and performance management.

❑ When considering TMC location, consider the importance of co-locating with groups and divisions of your own agency, not just co-locating with other agencies

❑ Establish robust communication links between the TMC and other agency offices

❑ Develop remote access for software to transfer full control over TMC functions

❑ Establish lines of communication between a designated point of contact at the TMC and external partner agencies and decision-makers

❑ The points of contact should be at the TMC manager level or a direct report

❑ Create a regularly distributed TMC bulletin on noteworthy news

❑ Highlight TMC successes and critical roles played during major events

❑ Include excerpts of correspondence received from agencies that tour the TMC

❑ Include positive feedback received from the public

❑ Use proper communication channels and protocols for internal discussions regarding the TMC

❑ Establish these rules if they aren’t documented

❑ Follow the appropriate agency rules for communicating with elected officials

❑ Seek out opportunities for the TMC to be represented in broader organizational meetings (i.e., Communications/PIO, IT)

❑ Create reader-friendly performance monitoring reports in an easy to understand format

❑ Create visual analysis tool for recording TMC performance data

❑ Develop procedures for collecting, analyzing, and distributing performance measures

❑ Examine internal and agency goals to determine appropriate metrics

❑ Search existing processes and software for opportunities to collect data on metrics

❑ Contribute to quarterly agency-published documents on congestion, mobility, accountability, and performance