Improving surface transportation safety and effectiveness through modern weather technologies and information: An integrated approach to meet user needs

Roadway safety and cost data estimates attributed to weather-related accidents and weather events are approximately 7,346 fatalities per year; 713,537 injured; $42 billion in economic costs; and over 544 million hours in delays. Since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Highway Administration released the Weather Information for Surface Transportation – A National Needs Assessment Report (OFCM 2002), there has been a great deal of progress made in bringing new weather products and services to the surface transportation community. Examples include: new technology and information capabilities such as 511 systems; new forecasts and visualizations of weather's impact on roadways in national and local media outlets and on the internet; increased surface weather research and development activities by Federal and state government, universities, and others; and an increased Congressional interest in surface transportation research and development. Additionally, a consensus has formed among the Federal meteorological community's leadership that an integrated approach is needed, supported by the surface transportation and meteorological stakeholders, to continue to improve weather information for surface transportation and effectively meet all surface transportation user needs. This paper describes such an integrated approach designed to support the weather information needs of the surface transportation community. It also provides examples of work already underway, and what the Federal meteorological community is doing to develop a vision to guide an integrated Federal surface transportation weather research and development program.