Session 8 Keys to Success Creating Synergy in

Session 8: Keys to Success: Creating Synergy in All Components of Surface Transportation Weather Applications Where the Weather Meets the Road: Reflections, Synthesis and Editorial Comments John T. Snow The University of Oklahoma

Road Weather As An Interdisciplinary Endeavor • An interface problem working at a boundary – On the physical side – between the atmosphere and the surface – On the human side – at the edge of several traditional disciplines • Pushing the boundaries in several areas of science, engineering, and technology

• Need More Innovation In Sensing Systems Snow, ice, rime, frost – presence and accumulation • Blowing, drifting snow (also dust, smoke, clouds of insects) • Night, dusk and dawn • The video camera as a present weather sensor and platform for other instruments – Opportunity to leverage large public investment

Plan for Worst Case • Life safety issue • A robust system is essential service when it is really needed; tied to credibility – Most needed in worst case situations – Power, comms, servers, C&C “weather proof” – Argues for a decentralized, distributed system with lots of backup, redundancy • Adaptive to the weather, traffic situation

Legal Issues • Need model legislation package for states, federal government that promotes sharing of data, and addresses directly liability questions • Are there legal impediments that hinder transition to operations; private sector involvement?

Road Weather Observing Systems In Context 1 • Integral part of a regional 4 -D meso- and micro (urban)-scale environmental monitoring system – Overlap with other federal programs (e. g. , NIDIS) • Not a Federal system, but rather a National one composite of regional/state/local contributions by government, private sector • Key federal roles: – Setting standards to guarantee seamless of date/metadata and comms compatibility, interoperability – Facilitating the leveraging of resources of many partners

Road Weather Observing Systems In Context 2 • Need several regional scale test beds – Important step in transition from R&D to operations proving ground for science, for technology, and for delivery vehicles – Demonstrate effectiveness, seamlessness – Large enough and with a life-time long enough to attract private sector, but not so large as to be unmanageable

The Chisholm Network: A Prototype Regional Scale Environmental Monitoring System 0 km ~100 0 km 0 5 1 ~ Major Cities Included: Dallas-Ft. Worth; Houston; Austin; Oklahoma City; Amarillo; Lubbock; San Antonio; Corpus Christi; Shreveport; Tulsa; New Orleans; Mobile; Little Rock; Jackson; . . . .

National Demonstration Corridors • To demonstrate effectiveness of road weather improvements, facilitate nationwide implementation of research results, and provide a seamless stream of road weather information to users and developers • One running northsouth (e. g. , I-35) • One running east-west (e. g. , I-80)

Movement to Operations “Demonstrate value, leave it to the field” • Regional Research Centers – To develop new technologies, foster technology implementation on regional roadways, and facilitate interaction between governments, the private sector, and academia – Should bring together weather and transportation researchers, and practitioners/service providers in the public and private sectors

Communicating To Users • Social/Psychological/Behavioral Issues – A “last mile” problem: (technology – solvable; response --? ? ? – May be THE central issue, since will control “demand” for services an issue in common with many other information delivery services – Complicated by the diversity of the audience: e. g. , drivers, operators, dispatchers, dontrollers very different sets of customers • Development of “credibility” is one step perception is reality – Accuracy + recent successes (what have you done for me today? ) – Timeliness (latency in link from “obs” to “service” in second, not minutes) • A Test

John T. Snow Dean, College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences The University of Oklahoma c/o National Weather Center, Suite 1100 120 David L. Boren Blvd. Norman, Oklahoma 73072 jsnow@ou. edu T: 405 -325 -3095 F: 405 -325 -3072