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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

Best Practices > Publications > Publication Titles

Title:

Traffic Management for Environmental Conditions

Abstract:

The Houston area is subject to unpredictable and severe weather conditions that can result in extensive roadway flooding during periods of intensive rainfall. Historically, several freeways, frontage roads, and major arterials are closed due to flooding conditions during severe storms. Although the Harris County Office of Emergency Management (HCOEM) Flood ALERT (Automatic Local Evaluation in Real Time) System provides information of potential flooding conditions along area streams and ditches, it lacks the necessary coverage to provide information on those freeway and arterial areas that are prone to flooding. In addition to flooding conditions, there are currently no reporting mechanisms to provide information on ice, fog, smoke, haze, steam, and wind conditions that may severely impact public safety on the freeway system. The monitoring of environmental conditions in the Houston/Harris County area will be done through the use of existing sources of weather advisory information provided by the Harris County Office of Emergency Management and the installation of 25 new weather monitoring stations at various roadway locations by the Texas DOT. In addition to the monitoring of flood prone roadway locations, TxDOT will be able to monitor critical pump station locations for pump status and surface water depth. By using these resources, real-time information on the status of weather conditions and specific location data can be provided to the public through the Houston TranStar Advanced Traveler information System (ATIS). This real-time information can assist motorists in both pre-trip planning as well as en-route response to advisory information.

Source(s):

ITE 2000 Annual Meeting and Exhibit, Parsons Transportation Group. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.

Date: NA

Author:

Wright

Keywords:


Observing network
Traveler information
Weather information

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