Domestic Scan Proposal Form
AASHTO is soliciting topic proposals for a Calendar Year 2015 US Domestic Scan Program (NCHRP Panel 20-68A).
Each selected scan topic will be investigated through site visits to three to six locations for approximately a two week
period or less (type 1), by webinar, (type 2) peer exchange, or (type 3) conducted by a group of eight to 12 transportation
professionals with expertise in the selected topic area. Proposed topics should meet the following criteria:
 Address an important and timely need for information by transportation agencies;
 Are of interest to a broad national spectrum of people and agencies;
 Are complex and also “hands-on,” meaning they lend themselves particularly well to exploration through on-site
visits; and
 Are sufficiently focused that the tour participants are able to investigate and understand key issues in the limited
time available on the tour.
Before submitting your proposal it is highly recommended that you read What Makes a Good Scan Topic Proposal
http://www.domesticscan.org/what-makes-a-good-scan-topic-proposal
This form is designed to collect the full length of your proposal. Sections requiring essays have unlimited space for you to
use. Contact information has some limited text. Use your TAB key to advance to the area where you need to
complete information.
Proposals should be returned no later than OCTOBER 15, 2014.
IMPORTANT NOTE on How to save your document: LastNameFirst Initial, underscore_Organization Acronym _CY2015.
Saved Document Name Example:
VitaleM_AASHTO_CY2015
If you have more than one, add a number after first initial:
VitaleM1_AASHTO_CY2015
Domestic Scan Proposal Contact Information
Name
RIK HINTON
Address
Title
Technical Writer
E-mail
3311 W. State Street
Boise, Id 83707-1129
rik.hinton@gmail.com
Member Department
Idaho Transportation Department
Telephone number
(208) 334-8604
Date of submission
10/15/2014
AASHTO Committee
Title of Proposed Scan: Winter Performance Measuring System
Problem Statement (What topic is to be examined? What drives the need for the scan? Why now?)
PROBLEM:
Virtually every transportation department in the nation is committed to ensuring the safety of travelers during winter
storms. But how effective are their efforts?
In 2009, The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) began researching ways of applying empirical data and measurable
outcomes to determine the effectiveness of winter highway-maintenance activities. No programs existed anywhere that
met these criteria, so ITD developed one.
WHY NOW?
ITD uses data from many Road Weather Information Sites (RWIS) to create a Winter Performance Measuring System
(WPMS). Introduced in 2011, the new system has revolutionized the department’s approach to winter maintenance,
optimizes the financial investment of taxpayer resources, and provides a much higher level of safety for travelers during
severe weather.
Pavement sensors incorporated in the state’s RWIS sites provide data about highway-surface conditions, and
atmospheric sensors capture weather-related data. They are combined to provide a snapshot of prevailing conditions that
quantify the severity of every storm.
Maintenance crews interpret the data and determine the most appropriate highway treatments, when to apply them, and
how much to apply.
Equipment operators receive the data in real time, allowing immediate responses on the highway. This process removes
the guesswork (subjective decisions) and replaces them with inputs that are consistent and measurable.
ITD’s unique system developed statewide criteria for winter operations to create uniformity in goals, provide maintenance
crews with new technology to evaluate their practices, and identify process-improvement opportunities. The intent of the
WPMS is to improve safety and mobility for the traveling public.
A post-storm analysis enables the department to calculate the effectiveness of its maintenance activities in a way never
before possible. Using hard, verifiable data, maintenance crews now have the ability to evaluate the optimal timing and
rates of chemical treatment and snow/ice removal.
In 2012, ITD expanded the system to include ice prevention by introducing a mobility index that measures the length of
time travel is impeded by winter storms. The mobility index uses non-invasive “grip” or traction values and surface
conditions to determine how traffic was impacted during storm events. The mobility index shows the percentage of time
during a storm event that traffic was not significantly delayed by the storm.
Implementation of the new Winter Performance Measurement System is producing substantial results. Slide-off crashes
have been reduced by more than 40 percent in southeast Idaho where the process was pioneered. Ice duration—the
length of time ice remained on highways after a storm—was reduced by about 75 percent.
Data was extensively analyzed to validate system results
During the initial implementation, suspect data often required software modifications by the vendor through its automated
monitoring system. ITD field observations and a study by Boise State University confirmed reliability issues with the data,
and new calibration configurations and threshold tolerances were implemented. The system is monitored through the
vendor’s automated system by its technical staff along with ITD program management staff and field personnel.
Ice prevention and snow removal have become a focal point instead of storm response in Idaho. It is one of 10
“dashboard measures” of the department’s efficiency. A separate dashboard is available internally for district engineers,
maintenance foremen, and equipment operators to determine the quality and effectiveness of storm responses.
An external version of the dashboard, without specific details by route, is available to the public for review
(http://itd.idaho.gov/Dashboard).
ITD added the automated road-reporting process to its 511 Traveler Information system for near-real-time daily updates in
the fall of 2013. The current program expansion will result in more than 100 active RWIS sites capable of producing winter
storm measurements.
Implementation plan critical to success
ITD operated 55 non-invasive pavement sensor RWIS sites in 2011 that provided data to measure winter performance.
That represents nearly two-thirds of the department’s 87 RWIS locations. ITD implemented statewide training and
orientation and upgraded half of the remaining RWIS sites to make them capable of providing the critical condition reports.
The process gained the support of maintenance personnel and of ITD leaders.
In 2013, ITD accepted the new winter-performance measures as statewide standards that govern storm response and
post-storm analysis. The system has been refined to the extent that every maintenance worker can analyze and compare
his or her responses to the statewide standard, and to the responses of other personnel. A “scorecard” is available on the
department’s internal website, showing performances by each of the state’s six districts and individual segments of every
highway, identified by maintenance foremen.
Safety increased as a result of performance monitoring
The mobility index improved significantly after the performance measures were implemented and adopted as a statewide
standard. The department developed and applied algorithms to create a standard for winter-maintenance performance.
The state target is for at least 55 percent of the highways to have unimpeded mobility during winter storms. The threeyear average shows improvement from 28 percent in 2010-11 (when the program was introduced) to 54 percent in the
past season (2012-2013).
One of ITD’s six districts that typically experiences severe storm events reported highway users drove on wet or very light
slush (rather than on packed snow or ice) 75 percent of the time when pavement temperature was below freezing.
That impressive improvement was achieved while working within existing operations budgets. Equally important, evolution
of the system resulted in creation of new “best management practices” that now guide the department’s response to all
winter storms, from snowplowing to the application of de-icing treatments.
The ultimate benefit of the Winter Performance Measuring System is increased mobility and safety for Idaho travelers. ITD
has worked extensively the past four years to measure and quantify winter-maintenance performance.
One of the department’s measures is the Mobility Index, which measures the percent of time during a storm when mobility
is unaffected. Information for this measurement is collected and calculated automatically by the WPM system
System is drawing national and international interest
The WPMS has brought requests for additional information with the intent of possible implementation from Kansas,
Pennsylvania, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Colorado is
working with ITD on implementing a pilot project that mirrors Idaho’s approach.
Representatives from the transportation agencies of Sweden, Great Britain, and several Canadian provinces have also
contacted the department for additional information. In addition, several universities and research centers have contacted
the department.
Presentations on the system have been made to the:
•
•
•
•
•
Western Association of State Highway Officials Conference in 2012
The North Dakota DOT Annual Maintenance Meeting in 2013
The Intelligent Transportation System World Conference in Tokyo, Japan, in 2013
The Intelligent Transportation System Congress in Brussels, Belgium, in 2013
The International Road Conference in Andorra la Vella, Andorra, in February 2014
Idaho’s WPMS is earning national recognition. The system was recognized through the following awards in 2013:
•
Intelligent Transportation Society of America national finalist for Best New Innovative Practices
•
National Roadway Safety Award from the Federal Highway Administration
•
Francois Award for Innovation from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
•
Best New Innovative Practice from the Rural Intelligence Transportation Society of America which came with a
$10,000 grant for Idaho engineering students
Scan Scope (What specific subject areas are to be examined? Which cities and states might be visited? Which
agencies/organizations (including specific departments or types of staff if applicable)?
SUBJECT AREA: Idaho's Winter Performance Measuring System.
CITIES TO BE VISITED: Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello
AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS: ITD's maintenance crews in Districts 3, 4, and 5. The award-winning system was
developed by staff in District 5.
Anticipated Scan Results (What key information is to be gained? What information is to be shared after the scan? Who
would the audience be for this information?)
The Scan of ITD's unique Winter Performance Measuring System will show how the system was developed, what
technology and software the department uses to operate the system, improvements that have been made to the initial
system, use of internal and external dashboards to monitor and assess performance, mobility indexes, field observations,
calibration and field tolerances, RWIS configurations and locations, and the empirical effectiveness of various types of ice
prevention and snow removal.
Benefits Expected (Including potential impacts on current technology or procedures)
The Idaho Transportation Department’s dedication to improving winter safety for the traveling public led it to develop a
unique Winter Performance Measuring System that is improving the efficiency and effectiveness of winter maintenance—
and the safety of the traveling public—across the world.
Winter slide-offs were reduced by more than 40 percent in southeast Idaho where the system was pioneered. Ice duration
has been reduced by about 75 percent. These reductions are possible because employees have a quantified result from
each storm crew members use to define best practices and improved outcomes.
Societal costs have been reduced significantly since each slide-off results in residual costs of approximately $1,000.
Winter mobility is significantly increased because ice duration is reduced.
ITD’s unique, award-winning Winter Performance Measuring System helps the department provide safer travel for
motorists during challenging winter conditions, and can serve as a valuable model for other states and countries.