FHWA's Clarus Initiative: Concept of Operations and Associated Research

Clarus is a U.S. DOT initiative to develop and demonstrate an integrated surface transportation weather observation data management system, and to establish a partnership to create a nationwide surface transportation weather observing and forecasting system. The Clarus Concept of Operations defines the environment in which the Clarus system will operate. It defines user needs, describes functional scenarios, and includes a conceptual system architecture. The Concept of Operations document is the first step in the systems engineering process being used to develop the Clarus system design. Designers have developed high level system requirements that satisfy the needs and objectives articulated in the Concept of Operations. Ultimately, the use of Clarus data will lead to the creation of new and enhanced environmental information products and datasets for both the surface transportation and weather communities.