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ClarusClarusNationwide Surface Transportation Weather Observing & Forecasting System

Paul PisanoTeam LeaderRoad Weather ManagementOffice of Transportation OperationsFederal Highway Administration

James Pol, PEITS CoordinatorITS Joint Program OfficeU.S. Department of Transportation

OFCM CEISC BriefingNovember 30, 2004

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USDOT ITS InitiativesIntegrated Vehicle

Based Safety Systems

Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems

Next Generation 9-1-1

Mobility Services for All Americans

Integrated Corridor Management

SystemsClarus

Emergency Transportation

Operations

Universal Electronic Freight Manifest

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)

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Changing Current Practices• Weather products today generally

are insufficient for transportation operations– Too generalized– DOTs investment in road observations

• Surface weather forecasting benefits from more data from more sources– Ground observations are plentiful, but

not managed to form coherent picture• Managing all available ground data

yields new products

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What is Clarus?• What

– Demonstration of a regional road weather observational data management and forecasting system & partnership to establish a nationwide road weather observation network.

• Why– To reduce the impact of adverse

weather for all road and transit users and operators.

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Why now?

State DOTs Vehicle technology

Transportation

Community NOAA Private sector

Weather Communit

y

Growing demands for specific road weather products to offset safety

impacts and impeded mobility

Newproducts

and servicesfor shared

goals

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Unlimited Possibilities!

Clarus

Route Specific Radio& TV Broadcasts ofTravel Conditions

Credible &Precise

Travel Advice

Add Detail toHAR & VMS

Spawn New technologies

(in vehicle, PDA)

Create New and More Effective Ways to Convey Surface Transportation Weather Information

Enhanced decision making tools

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Who will benefit from Clarus?• State and Municipal DOTs (Traffic & Maintenance Mgrs.)• Public Weather “Forecasting” Agencies (NOAA/NWS)• Public Weather “Consumer” Agencies (USDA, DHS, DOD)• Private Weather Information Providers (data & forecasts)• Electronic & Print Media (traffic reporters, USA Today)• Road Users (Commuters, Tourists, CVO/Truckers) • New innovations/VII (e.g., OnStar)• Mass Transit• Rail• General Public

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Challenges to Address

• Broader modernization efforts within NWS/NOAA

• Data ownership & licensing• VII and other emerging technology• Institutional barriers for sharing• Liability

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Clarus Roadmap Overview

Stakeholder Coordination

System Design

FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09

Multi-State RegionalDemonstration

Final Design, Model

Deployment

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• Purpose– Promote multilateral stakeholder ownership,

consensus in design & build partnerships.• Activities

– Establish partnership with NOAA– Create Interagency Coordinating Committee

• Directly engage stakeholders at key decision points and throughout the initiative

• Source of interdisciplinary expertise for design reviews and guidance

• Transportation; Weather; Private Sector

StakeholderCoordination

Stakeholder Coordination

System Design

FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09

Multi-State RegionalDemonstration

Final Design, Model

Deployment

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• Purpose– Establish data management for road weather

observations and forecasts that serve the needs of disparate user communities.

• Activities– Create concept of operations– Identify possible constraints– Integrate state road weather data with NOAA

data– Create engineering design documentation

System Design

Stakeholder Coordination

System Design

FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09

Multi-State RegionalDemonstration

Final Design, Model

Deployment

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• Purpose– Achieve regional multi-state collection with

quality control and enhanced forecasting capabilities.

• Activities– Selection criteria & location selection– Leverage VII proof of concept test to fully exploit

VII capabilities to deliver real-time data– Develop regional system design– Implement multi-state regional demonstration– Evaluate demonstration

Multi-State RegionalDemonstration

Stakeholder Coordination

System Design

FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09

Multi-State RegionalDemonstration

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• Purpose– Establish package of products that are readily

implemented by stakeholders and that are solely supported by the stakeholders.

• Activities– Develop enhanced system design– Design & implement a more robust Internet data portal

with hooks for new technologies such as CCTV & VII – Implement enhanced demonstration & evaluation– Create revised regional and nationwide Clarus system

design– Document all lessons learned and design guidance

Final Design, Model Deployment

Stakeholder Coordination

System Design

FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09

Multi-State RegionalDemonstration

Final Design, Model

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Where we are now• Concept of Operations Development

– Identified user needs– Developing Operational Scenarios– General Information requirements

• System Design Procurement– Proposals due next month– Completion within 20 months

• http://www.clarusinitiative.org

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Achievements through Clarus• Enhanced forecasting for surface

transportation• Stable, reliable access to road weather

information and other weather sources• Broadened participation for NOAA/NWS

in surface transportation weather• A regional model deployment of the

observation data-sharing network and a suite of forecasting tools enabled through the Clarus system design