Statewide Data and Information Systems Committee

Pennsylvania TRB Updates
Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee

ABJ20

Thomas TenEyck & Kim Ferroni

GIS

Transportation planning, where and what work is performed, is increasingly being influenced by environmental and cultural features.  Maps, whether cartographic or GIS generated, are designed to assist planners with their decision making.   By using ortho-imagery and video logs, cartographers can accurately identify and place features such as schools, cemeteries, municipal buildings, agency facilities, and local road additions.  By improving the information behind the transportation planning process, PennDOT is making more prudent decisions concerning its transportation program. Our increased use ofortho-imagery, and video logs has enhanced our ability to accurately identify, locate, and verify our mapping portrayals and GIS scenarios.

http://164.156.5.83/ividlog/video_locate.asp 

Ten years ago, PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission embarked on a joint effort to digitally store archaeological and historical resource information.  This effort culminated in 2004 with a set of enhancements to a rudimentary mapping web site.  The enhancements, implemented by the Bureau of Planning and Research, will enable PennDOT environmental consultants to query and map cultural resources like National Register properties or Native American village sites.  By implementing these improvements, PennDOT will gain a time and cost savings of $300,000.00 a year during the environmental review phase of project delivery.

Contact:  FrankDeSendi - Fdesendi@state.pa.us

Traffic Analysis

Traffic Conference: PennDOT's Transportation Planning Division will hold a Traffic Monitoring Conference on March 10-11, 2005. The Conference will provide an opportunity for our partner agencies and vendors throughout the state to come together. Topics covered will include the 2005 count program, counting safety, and new Internet tools. 

iTDUS: The Traffic Data Upload System (TDUS) has been used by PennDOT's Transportation Planning Division staff for several years. The program consists mainly of an Access database controlled by a Visual Basic interface. The program is distributed to various entities collecting traffic data throughout the Commonwealth, who use it to convert their raw traffic count data from the traffic counter into a file that can be emailed and automatically uploaded to the Departments Roadway Management System (RMS).

The present TDUS design has some shortcomings, including the need for users to upgrade their copy of TDUS periodically, and to continually update a lookup table used by the program. Consequently, TDUS requires a large amount of technical support by PennDOT's Transportation Planning Division. To address these shortcomings, and to streamline the traffic count submittal process, we are currently redesigning TDUS, into a web-based system. The major features of the new application, which we call iTDUS will be:

• Users able to access the system from any PC with an Internet connection, with no need to install extra software
• User-friendly interface
• Application will automatically send processed count data to Traffic Analysis, rather than the user having to send data in a separate email
• Count site lookup table will be kept more current without requiring each user to update the file themselves
• Technical support will be minimized, since there will only be one application to service 

The application is scheduled to be completed in February 2005, in time for the 2005 traffic counting season.

iTMS: We are pleased to announce the completion of the Traffic Monitoring System for the Internet,iTMS.  iTMS allows you to look-up traffic data and traffic monitoring sites by address, zip code, street name, state route number, or intersection. The information is displayed on an interactive map. Also available through iTMS are traffic factor reports and online video logging.  To access iTMS:

• Go to www.dot.state.pa.us
• Select 'Interactive Traffic Volume Map' under 'PennDOT News'

Contact:  Chris Allison - challison@state.pa.us

HPMS

During the fall of 2004, PennDOT's Bureau of Planning and Research's HPMS staff conducted its annual quality review of Pennsylvania's Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). The review included HPMS field views of sample sections on which HPMS data is provided by PennDOT District Offices, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, or Rural Planning Organizations. 

Eight of the ten data providers reviewed recorded an accuracy rate of 97% or greater. The overall accuracy rate for 2004 was 97.96%. The quality reviews were conducted with the appropriate MPO HPMS representative and PennDOT District representative present, resulting in improved communication between our HPMS staff and our data providers. Data reporting inadequacies were addressed on site when a particular condition occurred.     

On a system-wide perspective, we remain confident that the HPMS program delivers a high level of timely and accurate data. The participation of our HPMS partners in the quality review process has been favorably received and will continue, ensuring improvement in the quality of the HPMS data. 

Contact:  Laine Heltebridle - lheltebrid@state.pa.us 

Field Operations

In June 2003 PA entered into contract with International Road Dynamics, Inc. (IRD) for the maintenance and repair of the Continuous Automated Vehicle Classification (CAVC) and Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) traffic monitoring sites. Seventeen WIM/CAVC sites are included in this sole source, two phase contract. Phase I of the contract provided for the restoration of the WIM/CAVC sites and Phase II of the contract pays IRD a monthly fee for routine maintenance and repairs including two calibrations per year. Since the beginning of the contract we has seen the system down time, based on days of data collected, decrease from 18% in 2003 to 4% in 2004. To assure data quality we are developing a data review application that uses class and weight data collected the week following calibration as a benchmark for comparison.  

Contact:  Gaye Liddick - galiddick@state.pa.us