Office of Operations
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21st century operations using 21st century technologies

Operations News - Archive

News Archive

Advancing TSMO: Making the Business Case for Institutional, Organizational, and Procedural Changes - 12/28/2018
Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) presents a key opportunity for transportation agencies today and many agencies have recently been making a significant effort to better leverage TSMO to improve system performance in a cost effective way. This guide explores how a transportation agency's established Institutional, Organizational, and Procedural (IOP) "way of doing business" can be changed to reduce barriers and increase capabilities for effective TSMO through the development of a business case for TSMO IOP.

Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures Case Studies: Utah, Georgia and Pennsylvania - 10/24/2018
Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures are transforming traffic signal timing and operations business practices from reactive to proactive. Three concise case studies describe the implementation of Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures within the Utah, Georgia and Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation. Each of the case studies provides a snapshot of organizational capability and maturity and briefly describe the implementation of the technology and benefits to the agency.

The FHWA announces plans to update the MUTCD. - 10/5/2018
On October 5, 2018, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced it plans to update to the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways" (MUTCD). Overall, the proposed update would provide more flexibility and innovation to improve travel for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. A tentative rulemaking schedule is expected to be released in late fall.

2017 Urban Congestion Trends Report Available - 9/14/2018
The latest annual report on urban congestion trends is now available. The 2017 Urban Congestion Trends - Measuring, Managing, and Improving Operations in the 21st Century report includes annual traffic congestion-related measures in the 52 largest urban areas in the United States. The report also includes example operational strategy evaluations and how State DOTs and MPOs are using the National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS).

Register for the EDC-5 Orientation Webinars on the Use of Crowdsourcing to Advance Operations - 9/6/2018

Primer for Improved Urban Freight Mobility and Delivery Operations, Logistics, and Technology Strategies - 8/20/2018
This primer is designed to serve as a resource for stakeholders seeking to improve urban freight management in their regions. Urban freight management refers to planning, programming, and other efforts to improve freight mobility in urban areas or to minimize its impact on others. Operations, logistics, and technology strategies represent a set of practices that urban freight managers can apply to the movement of goods and the quality of life of urban residents. This primer documents 17 noteworthy practices to improve urban freight management that have been implemented successfully in both the United States and abroad. The primer also identifies opportunities for freight practitioners to plan for and fund the implementation of freight mobility strategies.

Effects on Intelligent Transportation Systems Planning and Deployment in a Connected Vehicle Environment - 8/2/2018
The report provides a roadmap and guidance to assist transportation agencies with better preparation for the potential impacts, operational and maintenance activities, resources and system needs and better decision-making for replacement of current ITS assets as well as investments on future ITS assets in a connected vehicle environment

What is Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO)? - 6/20/2018
As state and local transportation agencies continue to adopt Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO), there is a growing need to better understand what it is and how to best apply it. The FHWA Office of Operations has launched a new webpage that answers common questions relating to TSMO.

New Weather-Savvy Roads Publications are Now Available - 5/8/2018
Under the FHWA Every Day Counts (EDC) program, we are promoting deployment of two Road Weather Management solutions: Pathfinder and Integrating Mobile Observations.

National Dialogue on Highway Automation to Launch in June - 4/20/2018
A National Dialogue on Highway Automation will launch in June to engage stakeholders in understanding how highway systems will need to evolve to safely enable and accommodate automated vehicles and automated driving systems. The Dialogue will be introduce by a webinar on May 8.

Illustrative Deployment Packages of TSMO Strategies in Corridors and Subareas: A Primer - 4/13/2018
This primer showcases six illustrative packages of TSMO strategy deployments with varied geographic, social, and institutional contexts. The primer will enable planners and transportation engineers to think beyond deploying TSMO on a project-by-project basis to defining and advancing a "package" of project deployments, institutional advancements, and programs.

Work Zone Safety: Everybody's Responsibility – Factsheet - 4/6/2018
Work zone safety is everybody's responsibility. This factsheet provides work zone crash data and tips for driving safely in and around work zones.

2018 National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 9-13 – "Work Zone Safety: Everybody's Responsibility" - 3/29/2018
Each year in the spring, the National Work Zone Awareness Week is held to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones. The 2018 National Work Zone Awareness Week will be hosted by the state of Illinois, with a national kick-off event scheduled for Tuesday, April 10.

Best Practices in Permitting Oversize and Overweight Vehicles - Final report - 3/26/2018
This final report for the Best Practices in Permitting Oversize and Overweight Vehicles is the summary of a research study completed on State oversize — and overweight-permitting practices, including automated vehicle routing and escort driver certification and identifies the areas of best practices. This report is intended to fulfill a recommendation by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Approaches to Presenting External Factors with Operations Performance Measures - 3/15/2018
The newly published report, Approaches to Presenting External Factors with Operations Performance Measures, identifies relevant external factors that can affect how the transportation system performs (such as gas prices, economic indicators). The report also gives suggestions on how to present these external factors alongside typical operations measures (congestion, reliability, etc.).

Transportation Planning and Analysis Tools: Selecting the Right Tools to Optimize Outcomes - 1/30/2018
This brief provides an overview of the classes of analysis tools and techniques available to transportation planners estimate performance and evaluate the congestion and mobility impacts of transportation operations strategies.

Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations within Corridors and Subareas: Web-Based Informational Session - 1/30/2018
This is a web-based instructional session on the applications of a performance-based, integrated, and multimodal approach to planning for transportation systems management and operations, or TSMO, within corridors or subareas. The session includes video presentations by workshop instructors and practitioners, demonstrations, narrated slides, and two case studies that can be used as group or individual exercises.

Applying Archived Operations Data in Transportation Planning: Web-Based Informational Session - 1/30/2018
This is a web-based instructional session on the use of archived transportation operations data for developing, analyzing, and evaluating transportation plans and programs. The session includes video presentations by workshop instructors and practitioners, demonstrations, and narrated slides.

Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations through Scenario Planning: Web-Based Informational Session - 1/30/2018
This is a web-based instructional session on the use of scenario planning to advance Transportation Systems Management and Operations. The session includes video presentations by workshop instructors and practitioners. It also includes a video question and answer session and demonstrations of how to apply scenario planning in mock TSMO-related cases. This session provides a general understanding of scenario planning and a framework for applying scenario planning to advance TSMO.

Integrating Business Processes to Improve Transportation System Performance: Advancing Planning for Operations Technical Brief - 1/30/2018
This brief highlights key management, operational, and supporting business processes (e.g. planning, programming, training, human resource management, and contracting and procurement) that are key to successfully sustaining Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) programs. They brief provides examples and describes the benefits of business process for various TSMO program areas.

Elements of Business Rules and Decision Support Systems within Integrated Corridor Management: Understanding the Intersection of These Three Components - 1/25/2018
The purpose of this guidance document is to provide a fundamental explanation of the "decision support system" (DSS) concept and the relationship of DSS systems and business rules to the integrated corridor management (ICM) community. The document will provide examples and background within and beyond transportation, as well as a clearly organized discussion about elements of business rules and decision support systems within ICM corridors. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-17-027)

Active Traffic Management (ATM) Implementation and Operations Guide - 1/24/2018
The objective of this Guide is to provide regional and local agencies guidance on how to strategically and effectively implement and operate Active Traffic Management (ATM) strategies. The Guide describes the stepwise approach to accomplishing this implementation through the application of the system engineering process; comprehensive planning; and organizational considerations, capabilities, and design considerations. It utilizes a combination of relevant existing resources and documents along with best practices and lessons learned gleaned from early adopters to offer practical guidance. It also emphasizes the value of ATM and what these strategies can offer to operating agencies as part of their broader Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) program. The intended audience(s) of the Guide includes agencies interested in implementing ATM in their region, as well as agencies that have implemented ATM and are interested in guidance on operating their ATM systems and strategies more effectively.

Lessons Learned from Regional Congestion Pricing Workshops (RCPWs) - 1/19/2018
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hosted a series of Regional Congestion Pricing Workshops (RCPWs) to further develop, advance, promote, and enhance tolling and pricing programs and initiatives in metropolitan areas. The workshops featured experts from operating projects who shared lessons learned from their experiences establishing congestion pricing programs. The information shared was designed to help workshop participants plan, implement, and advance a congestion pricing project in their region. This report focuses on the findings from three such workshops held between March 2016 and May 2017 in Schaumburg, Illinois; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Portland, Oregon. It details cross-cutting issues impacting participating stakeholders identified during the webinars, summarizes key developments achieved in the candidate regions since the webinars were hosted, and concludes with a summary of key takeaways and next steps based on stakeholder inputs and workshop experiences.