T3 Webinar Overview

Using ITS to Increase the Effectiveness of Your Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Program

Date:   October 30, 2013
Time:  1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET
Cost:  All T3 webinars are free of charge
PDH:  1.5   View PDH Policy

T3 Webinars are brought to you by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program (ITS PCB) at the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) ITS Joint Program Office, Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). Reference in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by U.S. Department of Transportation.

Background

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) consists of a planned and coordinated multi-disciplinary process to detect, respond to, and clear traffic incidents so that traffic flow may be restored as safely and quickly as possible. Effective TIM reduces the duration and impacts of traffic incidents and improves the safety of motorists, crash victims and emergency responders.

This webinar will feature speakers from a range of transportation agencies discussing using ITS technology to enhance their Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Programs. Challenges, successes, and future direction of ITS integration with TIM Programs; and sharing various ideas on how performance measures can help improve a TIM program will be discussed.

Agenda

Brian C. Hoeft, P.E., Director of FAST (Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation) for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, will present information on the FAST ITS network of devices and fiber optic communication; collaboration between FAST and other state and local agencies which enhances their ability to operate the transportation system and be a key member of the TIM coalition; and the use of data from their ITS network to develop data sources and performance measures that track the benefits of safe and quick clearance of incidents and examples of how improved freeway performance as a result of TIM activities can be quantified.

Brian Kary, Freeway Operations Engineer for the MnDOT, will present on Minnesota's Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC), which is a co-located center between MnDOT and the Minnesota State Patrol. From the center, MnDOT manages nearly 500 miles of freeway system in the Twin Cities metro area, including an Active Traffic Management system on I-35W and I-94. The presentation will also include an overview of MnDOT's TIM program, which includes an Open Roads Policy with State Patrol, quick clearance legislation, CAD data sharing, and freeway service patrol vehicles.

Ricky Via, State Incident Management Program Manager for the Virginia DOT Center, plans to share how VDOT is currently leveraging ITS and other Technology to Enhance Scene, Safety, and Quick Clearance of Highway Incidents.

Learning Objectives

This webinar will:

• Offer an overview of traffic incident management programs and the use of ITS technology in these programs.
• Provide an understanding of the benefits of using various ITS technologies to enhance a TIM Program.
• Identify challenges, successes, and future direction of agencies regarding their use of ITS technology with their TIM Program.
• Identify how the collection and analysis of performance measures can be used to improve a TIM program.

Target Audience

• ITS and TIM Program managers, police, fire, consultants, vendors, academia, government officials, including local, state, federal and DOT, and any other individuals or entities involved in the design, deployment, operation, or evaluation of ITS technologies and TIM Programs
• Those wanting to learn more about using performance measures in a TIM Program

Host

Paul Jodoin, Traffic Incident Management Program Manager
Office of Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, (Washington, D.C.)

Mr. Jodoin has served as the Traffic Incident Manager Program Manager for FHWA for the last four years. Prior to joining FHWA, he worked for 38 years at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as the manager of the Highway Operations Center and was instrumental in starting their traffic incident management program.

Presenters

Brian C. Hoeft, P.E., Director
FAST (Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation) (Las Vegas, NV)

Mr. Hoeft is the director of the Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) division of the Regional Transportation Commission in Southern Nevada. FAST is responsible for the day-to-day traffic operations of the freeway system and traffic signal coordination throughout the Las Vegas area. The FAST traffic management center is collocated with Nevada Highway Patrol. He has been with FAST for eight years and director for the past 2.5 years. Prior to that, he worked as a consultant for FHWA and was an officer in the Navy Civil Engineering Corp.

Brian Kary, Freeway Operations Engineer
Minnesota DOT (MnDOT) (St Paul, MN)

Mr. Kary has worked with the Minnesota Department of Transportation since 1999. His work with the department has included working in Freeway Operations, Traffic Analysis, and Incident Management. In his current position, Mr. Kary oversees the daily operations of the Regional Transportation Management Center, which includes the MnPASS system, the FIRST program, ramp metering, and the freeway operations group.

Ricky Via, State-wide Incident Management Program Manager
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) (Richmond, VA)

Mr. Via has been in this position since May 2013. He is responsible for statewide leadership and guidance for the statewide Incident Management Program, Safety Service Program and VDOT's National Incident Management System (NIMS) Compliance Program.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Via served as the Regional Traffic Operations Manager for VDOT's Northwestern Region encompassing I-81, I-64 and I-66 corridors. He was responsible for the 24/7 leadership and oversight of Regional Traffic Operations Center, Signal Timing/Optimization Program, Incident Management Program, Safety Service Patrol Program, Preventive maintenance, and On-call support of regions Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) devices (traffic cameras, message signs, weather stations, Vehicle Detection Systems, and Afton Mountain Fog System.