Task 1

This initial task is intended to develop a generic organizational framework that can be used to categorize operations assets. The framework is based on a study of current operations units to identify possible characteristics and organizational sub-unit designations, and consideration for the support of 21 st century transportation operations.

Prior to studying the current activities of the various public agency operations units, it is important to have an accepted understanding of what operations is. While there is not generally a clear, professionally-recognized definition, one dictionary-based definition below is taken from Encarta:

Operations - controlling of organized activities:   the supervising, monitoring, and coordinating of the activities of a military or civilian organization or a complex machine. (Encarta definition)

Considering the application of transportation operations, the previous definition is revised accordingly as follows:

Transportation Operations - controlling of organized activities:   the supervising, monitoring, and coordination of activities of a transportation network.

In 1999, as the profession was gaining awareness of operations, Dr. Christine M. Johnson said at the 69 th ITE Annual Meeting: “…we have expanded our core mission, for the first time, to include a mission of operating the system – actively managing its performance – safely and efficiently....(and that) operating a system almost inherently means process – the integration of actions, systems, users, etc….”.

So what activities are managing this integration of actions, systems, users, etc.? Which activities within transportation agencies are considered “Operations”? It is noted that Transportation Operations has characteristics that are performance-oriented for the customer, consider human factors as opposed to straight functional requirements, affects safety and mobility, and is continuous on a 24/7 basis. This varies from capacity expansion activities that are mainly function-based.

Review of Pavement and Bridge Asset Management Systems

Asset management has been slowly increasing in stature within the transportation community as a way to manage transportation assets. In its current state, asset management has consisted primarily of the management of infrastructure assets, specifically pavements and bridges. Pavement and bridge management systems represent the first level of asset management. Each of these systems assists asset owners in evaluating specific assets, identifying deficiencies, and helping prioritize improvements.

Pavement Management Systems (PMS) have been around since the early 1960’s, tracing their early history back to the AASHO Road Tests of the late 50’s and early 60’s. Over time, all states have instituted some sort of PMS and assigned the maintenance of such a system to various branches of their DOT. The most common units within a DOT to maintain PMS include those associated with materials, design, construction and maintenance. The states that have put PMS under their materials units tend to have a more research-oriented outlook on pavement management. Other DOT’s may be more oriented toward future repair and rehabilitation needs within the state.

Bridge Management Systems (BMS) is a much newer system used by the State DOT’s. BMS has only been around for the last 20 years or so, with many of the states deploying BM as a result of initiatives occurring as a result of the ISTEA legislation during the 1990’s. Due to expertise required for the system, it is generally managed by the structures or bridge units within the State DOTs.

Review of Current Operations Units

An outreach to several state and local transportation agencies that are somewhat more advanced in the deployment of 21 st century technologies was performed for this review, in addition to literature research. While transportation is a multi-modal issue, and the operations focus is becoming more multi-modal, this study basically focuses on “Roadway-Based Operations”, while recognizing there are multi-modal considerations in the process. The agencies that were reviewed include the following:

Local agencies usually place Roadway-Based Operations units in a public works department, while others are situated in traffic engineering departments, transportation departments, engineering departments, or others. Roadway-Based Operations units can be found in various designated functional units in State agencies, including: operations, engineering, traffic engineering, maintenance, and others, often spread across multiple units mostly in regional district organizations rather than the headquarters.

Proposed Generic Organizational Framework

A list of operations activities that may be performed by an agency unit was developed based on the research, then put into an organizational framework. It is believed no single agency has all of the units identified below. In many cases, actual agency units may perform more than one of the unit functions noted below. Considerable interaction and coordination is generally required across the units. Figure 1 below represents a generic organizational framework that will support the identification and categorization of roadway-based operations assets. The framework is followed by brief descriptions and explanations of the categorization breakdown by generic operational section and unit.

Click to see larger view

Traffic Engineering - Associated with the planning, monitoring, geometric design and traffic operations of roads, streets, motorways, their networks, and their relationships with other modes of transportation for the safe, efficient and convenient movement of persons and goods (definition from ITE). This section is fairly traditional with a long history of experience within transportation agencies and the industry. Decisions may require extensive analysis before deploying changes to the transportation network.

Regulations – This unit helps develop new and revised traffic laws and ordinances - i.e. speed limits, no passing zones, and prohibitions of specific movements.

Use of Traffic Control Devices – This unit is responsible for the applications of traffic control devices, following the guidelines of the MUTCD. It may include sub-units for each class of traffic control applications:

• Signing– Addressed the addition, deletion, modification and replacement of signing. Include responsibilities for design, location and operations to maintain uniformity. Sign manufacturing, installation and maintenance are placed in the Operations Maintenance unit. Note that many agencies’ sign inventories may be part of a maintenance management system.
• Pavement Markings/Channelization/Guiderail– Addresses all devices, except signs, that are applied upon or attached to the pavement or mounted at the side of the roadway to guide traffic or warn of an obstruction. Similar responsibilities as above
• Signal Design– Addresses any power-operated traffic control device by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and permitted to proceed. Responsibilities include: warrants analysis, design of all equipment, and operational phasing diagrams. Signal timings are placed in a sub-unit under Arterial Signal Systems in the Traffic Management Section, due to its real-time nature. Signal installation and maintenance is placed under Operations Maintenance

Parking– This unit addresses the provision and operation of parking, both on street, off-street. Responsibilities may include: zoning studies, access considerations, design, and for some agencies operations (i.e. meters, lots).

Lighting – This unit addresses highway lighting to satisfy the needs of drivers and pedestrians. Responsibilities include: warrants analysis, design of light source luminaire and placement, maintaining uniformity over a system. Lighting is usually implemented as part of a capital project, but can be modified in an operations process. Lighting maintenance is placed under Operations Maintenance.

Traffic Management – Is “the utilization of personnel (traffic operations and enforcement), materials, and equipment along freeways, city streets, and rural highways to achieve safe and efficient movement of people, services and goods” (ITE Traffic Engineering Handbook). This section is more instantaneous and dynamic than Traffic Engineering, as it addresses the various types of congestion-causing incidents. Decisions are frequently made in “real-time”.

Traffic Management Centers (TMC)– This unit addresses all the functions directly related to the activities that take place in a TMC. Because of the varied skills required, it may be divided into several sub-units, identified below:

• Operations – Addresses real-time monitoring and control of the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) that is housed is the TMC. Its responsibilities include information gathering or collecting from the ATMS and information sharing with other stakeholders (i.e. incident information to emergency responders
• Information Dissemination – Addresses the processing of data and video for traveler information purposes, and the dissemination of information to media, customers and other partnering agencies, i.e. ‘511’ and other traveler information systems. These functions are usually contracted to Information Service Providers (ISP)
• System Administration– Addresses management of integrated software-based systems and system configuration management plans
• Central Hardware– Addresses operations and maintenance of all central hardware housed in TMC facility/building, including communications interface
• Field Support Services – Addresses maintenance and support of field elements that are connected to the TMC which provide data gathering and traffic control functions (may be placed in a Maintenance section or division). Examples are system surveillance detectors, CCTV cameras, dynamic message signs, and associated power and communications

Arterial Signal Systems – This unit addresses signalized intersection controllers interconnected to a central computerized system. The real-time operations of these systems is generally addressed in the TMC, however, other significant efforts are required for the operations of these systems. There are two sub-units identified which support this function:

• Signal Timing– Addresses the timing plans and parameters that are used for the operations of signalized intersections. Information to generate timing plans and parameters may come from internal system data collection functions, other system data collection functions, manual data collection functions (e.g. turning movement counts) and other units (e.g. geometric information, planning studies).
• Field Support Technicians – Addresses the maintenance needs for traffic signals and signal systems. This is very specialized work required within the intersection signal controller cabinets.

Incident Management – This unit addresses all activities related to incident management outside of the TMC. The diverse range of activities is represented by the following sub-units:

• Dispatch/Communications – Addresses dispatching and communications to field personnel, including operations of radio equipment and Automatic Vehicle Location/Computer Aided-Dispatch systems. This unit and function may be co-located with the TMC Operations or Operations Oriented Maintenance units.
• Incident Response Team– Addresses the on-scene response activities, including DOT personnel, Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Towing, Hazmat, and other responders.
• Service Patrols – Addresses personnel who operate mobile service patrol vehicles that provide motorist assistance and may provide support at crash scenes or other incident sites.
• Maintenance Crews– Addresses response from the DOT that may provide traffic control and clean-up support functions for incidents. Personnel, vehicles, equipment and communications from this unit may be used in response to weather incidents like snow/ice removal and flood control.
• Work Zone Management – Addresses contracting procedures, construction phasing, lane closure permitting, traffic control, and awareness campaigns related to workzones for long-term capital construction, short-term maintenance, and moving operations. This sub-unit may be found in other sections.
• Planned Event Management Coordination – Addressed the advanced planning and coordination related to special events that impact traffic operations.
• Weather Management – Addresses adverse weather-related events and responses using weather warning forecasts and road-weather information systems. Personnel, equipment and communications may come from a variety of units to perform related support duties, including maintenance crews.
• Emergency/Security– Addresses emergency coordination efforts for emergency and national security events (i.e. earthquakes, evacuations, threats of terrorism).
• Strategic Response Plans – Addresses the preparation of traffic response plans to be used during possible incidents, including: mitigation measures, alternate/diversion routing, evacuations, etc. This sub-unit may overlap some of the others.

Moveable Bridges– This unit specifically addresses the operations of moveable bridges.

Tunnels – This unit specifically addresses the operations of tunnels.

Independent Units may include the following:

Toll Payment Collection – This unit addresses the operations of toll collection facilities. Although common with toll highway agencies, some state and local agencies have such facilities, and more are emerging through the implementation of managed lane facilities. It is also noted that many agencies consider Toll Payment and Processing as a separate entity on par with, or more important than, Traffic Engineering or Operations Planning.

• Manual Collection/Electronic Payment- Addresses the manual/electronic operations of the toll collection process.
• Violation Enforcement– Addresses the violation enforcement element of the toll collection process.

Planning for Operations – This separate unit may be placed in a planning section that plans for capital and operational projects. Responsibilities include: architectures, long range plans, systems planning process, modeling/analysis, concepts of operations, performance measurements/evaluations.

• Transportation Information Management – This unit consists of the providers of transportation information, though traditionally have not been inclusive of ITS information. The information inventories are usually geographically referenced, and linear-based. It is most commonly found in Planning sections due to the need for information in performing planning analysis.

Operations Project Management– This separate unit may be found in a capital design/construction or project management section that addresses capital and operational projects. Responsibilities include: system requirements, design plans, specifications, procurements, inspections, as-builts, and acceptance tests.

Operations Oriented Maintenance– This separate unit is usually placed in a Maintenance section, but impacts operations by providing maintenance support for operational assets. Examples include maintenance of: sign fabrication, removal, replacement, installation; signal hardware installation and maintenance (may not include cabinet equipment); pavement markings installation and maintenance; and roadway lighting.

Research – This separate unit may be found in various parts of an organization. Responsibilities include those supporting operations based activities.

CVO/Freight Management– This separate unit is usually found in planning sections or on its own. Responsibilities include: CVISN; safety monitoring; credentialing; enforcement; emissions testing (DMV activities); supply chain management (i.e. FIRST program in New York).

Border control– This section is not common to all state and local transportation agencies, but certainly impacts operations. Responsibilities may include international visitors and goods, or other inspection services (i.e. California and Arizona agriculture departments).

Security Activities – This section addressed security functions that have more recently emerged in level of importance.

Multi-modal/Inter-modal Operations – This section addresses multi-modal and inter-modal activities that can impact roadway operations. These units may fall outside the jurisdiction of a DOT, but require inter-agency coordination. Possible sub-units include:

• Port management– Addresses shipping and rail connections. This is usually under the responsibility of a port authority. Ferries are an example operation for passenger travel.
• Transit stations/centers – Addresses connections and interactions of roadway operations with transit bus or rail. This requires coordination usually with a transit agency.
• Airport surface transportation – Addresses the access from the roadway network to the airport. This requires coordination usually with a separate authority.

Regional/Multi-agency Coalitions– Though usually not a specific unit within an agency, this is a growing activity due to the emergence of integrated ITS systems, information sharing and coordination of activities, incident management, signal systems (i.e. TRANSCOM, Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor).

Table of Contents | List of Tables | List of Figures | Top of Section | Previous Section | Next Section | HOME