Deploying and Integrating Smart Devices to Improve Work Zone Data for Work Zone Data Exchange

Connected temporary traffic control devices (cTTCDs) that provide their location and status are a new tool that infrastructure owners and operators can begin to use to improve the accuracy of work zone data. By improving work zone data, better information can be provided to the public. Publishing these data through the WZDx (Work Zone Data Exchange) aims to improve safety by notifying drivers and vehicles of the location of verified work zones. Connected devices such as smart arrow boards and connected cones have continued to increase in number in the market, but little has been done to determine the best method of integrating these devices into a department of transportation’s (DOT’s) system. An approach is presented that integrates deployed smart arrow boards to indicate actual conditions as part of a planned work zone by leveraging a DOT’s linear referencing system. This method does not require any additional effort from field staff and improves the locational and temporal accuracy of work zone information as part of a WZDx. When fully deployed, this system showed that smart arrow boards could be automatically associated with a work zone in controlled test scenarios as well as in a limited sample under real-world conditions. In real-world conditions, contractors did not need to provide additional information to associate the smart arrow board with the 511 work zone event. This effort represents a starting point for how cTTCDs could be integrated into DOT systems to improve work zone data accuracy.

Revamping Tribal Road Networks from Various Sources and Improving Quality

The objectives of this study were to integrate road networks to provide a comprehensive road network through the use of multiple public sources and to provide guides for performing a quality control assessment before delivering data and using the data for geospatial analysis. The study focused on the Fort Berthold Reservation in western North Dakota. A method is proposed to integrate multiple public road networks to support a tribal transportation agency. The workflow and techniques proposed are transferrable to other tribal transportation agencies. Depending on current data used for transportation planning and operations, the workflow and processes are subject to change from agency to agency, but the study provided general guidance for the agency. The study recommended that the tribal transportation agencies develop linear referencing systems on the proposed road network to adopt efficient asset management and version control. The linear referencing system should comply with state or federal guidelines for improved communication. To develop appropriate applications, the road network should include additional attributes based on the needs of the reservation.