Collaboration Across the Road Weather Enterprise: The Pathfinder Project
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Road Weather Management Program
(RWMP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's)
National Weather Service (NWS) have been working together to document the
state-of-the-practice and working relationships between State Departments
of Transportation (DOTs) and the weather enterprise. The objective of this
work is to encourage further collaboration through growing partnerships,
with the ultimate goals of saving lives and property and to keep the
economy moving. The weather enterprise encompasses public and private
meteorological entities, including NWS weather forecast offices (WFOs), and
private weather service providers, especially those contracted by DOTs. The
objective of this document is to provide information and guidance to State
DOTs and the weather enterprise regarding different methods and best
practices for cross- agency collaboration and the integration of weather
information into daily transportation operations.
The Pathfinder project was initiated in 2014 as a pilot project across four
western States (California, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming) to document current
State DOT interactions and working relationships with the weather
enterprise (both NWS and private sector). The focus was on the I-80
corridor which represents a mix of metropolitan and rural areas and serves
as a main commercial trucking route. The team documented best practices
across the agencies to disseminate consistent messages about the weather
and its impact on the roads, and the way in which the messages prompt
travelers to change departure times, cancel trips, choose alternate routes,
or select different modes of transportation in response to adverse weather
conditions. This document serves as a guidance document for improving the collaboration
between State DOTs and the weather enterprise.
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The Pathfinder project is a joint initiative that aims to save lives, time and money on our nation's roadways by minimizing the impacts of weather through the dissemination of consistent and actionable information.
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| Refer to Appendix A to Learn More
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to Appendix A to Learn More
Learn more about Pathfinder project details.
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