MC04-Weather Information Processing and Distribution (Service Package*)
Description
This service package processes and distributes the environmental information collected from the Road Weather Data Collection service package. This service package uses the environmental data to detect environmental hazards such as icy road conditions, high winds, dense fog, etc. so system operators and decision support systems can make decision on corrective actions to take. The continuing updates of road condition information and current temperatures can be used by system operators to more effectively deploy road maintenance resources, issue general traveler advisories, issue location specific warnings to drivers using the Traffic Information Dissemination service package, and aid operators in scheduling work activity.
Service Package Graphic
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About this Graphic
Includes Equipment Packages and Subsystems:
Includes Architecture Flows:
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been or will be addressed by ITS Standards. Select the architecture flow
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Associated Planning Factors and Goals
Associated Objective Categories 
Associated Objectives and Performance Measures
| Objective |
Performance Measure |
| Increase by X percent of significant travel routes covered by weather-related diversion plans by year Y. |
Percent of significant travel routes covered by weather-related diversion plans. |
| Increase the percent of agencies that have adopted multi-agency weather-related transportation operations plans and that are involved in transportation operations during weather events to X percent by year Y. |
Percent of agencies involved in transportation operations during weather events that have adopted multi-agency, weather-related transportation operations plans. |
| Increase the percent of major road network (or transit network or regional bicycle network) covered by weather sensors or a road weather information system (RWIS) by X percent in Y years as defined by an RWIS station within Z miles. |
Percent of major road (transit or bicycle) network within Z miles of an RWIS station. |
| Provide freight operators with traveler alerts and alternate routes in the case of incidents, special events, weather, construction, and severe congestion at choke points on X percent of freight-significant routes by year Y. |
Percent of freight-significant routes where traveler alerts and alternate route information is provided in the case of incidents, special events, weather, construction, and severe congestion at choke points. |
| Reduce time to alert travelers of travel weather impacts (using variable message signs, 511, road weather information systems, public information broadcasts, the agency's website, Web 2.0 technologies, etc.) by X (time period or percent) in Y years. |
Time from beginning of weather event to posting of traveler information on (variable message signs, 511, Road Weather Information Systems, public information broadcasts etc.). |
| Reduce time to alert travelers of travel weather impacts (using variable message signs, 511, road weather information systems, public information broadcasts, the agency's website, Web 2.0 technologies, etc.) by X (time period or percent) in Y years. |
Time from beginning of weather event to posting of traveler information on agency website. |
Since the mapping between objectives and service packages is not always straight-forward and often situation-dependent, these mappings should only be used as a starting point. Users should do their own analysis to identify the best service packages for their region.
Related ITS Applications of ITS Taxonomy
User Services related to this Service Package:
Transaction Set Diagram
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The source graphic, a Windows Metafile (WMF), for the TSD can be downloaded here:
TSD
The following discusses how the National ITS Architecture provides the transportation service described by this service package. Each numbered item describes the operation of that portion of the service package identified with the corresponding number on the transaction set diagram.
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The Weather Service is a primary source of weather information, both current observations and forecasts. In the National ITS Architecture, weather information is provided by the Weather Service to the following center subsystems:
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Emergency Management
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Information Service Provider
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Maintenance and Construction Management
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Traffic Management
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Transit Management
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The Surface Transportation Weather Service provides tailored weather products to the transportation community. Because the products could be tailored to different transportation entities, each of the previous five centers sends a transportation weather information request to identify the type of information they require. The Surface Transportation Weather Service would then send transportation weather information including observations and forecasts tailored to the recipient’s needs.
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The MCMS takes its sensor inputs (from the MC03 Road Weather Data Collection market package) along with the inputs above to create road conditions and weather information that are made available by road maintenance operations to other transportation system operators (road weather information). The MCMS can also receive road weather information from maintenance operations centers in adjacent geographic areas (the Other MCM terminator). In addition, on an asynchronous basis the MCMS provides road facility and treatment information that supports road conditions forecasts (road data) to the Surface Transportation Weather Service to assist that entity in creating tailored weather products.
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On an asynchronous basis, the weather information collected by the TMS is provided to the Traffic Operations Personnel (traffic operator data), who exert control over the collection and processing of the data (traffic operator inputs).
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On an asynchronous basis, the weather information collected by the MCMS is provided to the Maintenance and Construction Center Personnel (maint and constr operations information presentation), who exert control over the collection and processing of the data (maint and constr center personnel inputs).
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