Extended Abstract (1.1M)8.4
Regional Demonstrations of the FHWA Clarus System
Paul A. Pisano, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC; and P. J. Kennedy, B. C. Boyce, and A. D. Stern
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Road Weather Management Program, in conjunction with the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office established the Clarus Initiative in 2004 to reduce the impact of adverse weather conditions on surface transportation users.
Clarus is a research and development initiative to demonstrate and evaluate the value of “Anytime, Anywhere Road Weather Information” that is provided by both public agencies and the private weather enterprise to the breadth of transportation users and operators. The goal of the initiative is to create a robust data assimilation, quality checking, and data dissemination system that can provide near real-time atmospheric and pavement observations from the collective state's investments in road weather information system, environmental sensor stations (ESS) as well as mobile observations from Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) equipped trucks and eventually passenger vehicles equipped with transceivers that will participate in the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) Initiative.
During 2004-2005, the Clarus System was designed and constructed. During 2006, the system was extensively tested during a Proof of Concept Demonstration utilizing ESS data from three States. The system is now ready to be populated and for its data to be utilized by the transportation community and the weather enterprise. To reach this goal, the FHWA has begun a series of regional demonstrations.
The regional demonstrations contain three phases. The first phase involves teams of State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) preparing Concepts of Operations tailored to their agency's needs for innovative new products and techniques that are enabled by the Clarus System. The second phase seeks to build public agency participation in the program. Finally, the third phase provides the opportunity for the private sector to build and test the concepts that were included in the Concepts of Operations. This paper will provide details about the phases of the regional demonstrations and provide an outlook for continued development of the Clarus System.
Session 8, Advances and Applications in Surface Transportation Weather
Thursday, 24 January 2008, 8:30 AM-9:45 AM, 207
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