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21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies
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Model Transportation Systems Management and Operations Deployments in Corridors and Subareas Primer

4. Implementation Considerations

The previous section focused on describing illustrative examples for planning and deploying combinations of transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) strategies in a variety of contexts. This section presents a collection of considerations for the implementation of TSMO strategies to facilitate an integrated approach to deployment and operation of TSMO strategies. The intent is to highlight critical factors in the systems engineering process that emerge when designing and deploying TSMO projects. Many of these factors can be addressed in the planning and design phases of a project.

Travelers experience the transportation system as a single entity. However, the silos created around agencies, modal networks, and service providers can result in disconnected delivery of transportation services. The essence of TSMO depends on both the integrated and active delivery of the transportation network and services. Management of the transportation network and services must be coordinated between partners, and partners must cooperatively operate the transportation system to achieve a seamless traveler experience.

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESS

The systems engineering process is a key element in successful delivery and operation of TSMO strategies. In brief, systems engineering develops processes that account for interdisciplinary issues, needs, and requirements (e.g., customer needs, user needs, reliability, logistics, testing, maintenance) to design, manage, and realize successful systems over their life cycles.14

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Some guiding principles to consider when implementing TSMO strategies:

  • Establish a strategy team specifically for addressing implementation factors, especially for more complex TSMO strategies.
  • When implementing a TSMO strategy for the first time, consider pilot or phased deployments.
  • Strategies and policies evolve over time. Maintain enough flexibility to make adjustments later.
  • Measure performance of strategies and adapt them as needed.

IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS

Implementation factors to consider when implementing TSMO strategies are grouped into three categories:

  • Physical factors.
  • Operations and maintenance factors.
  • Institutional factors.

The following tables identify common factors and associated best practices.

Implementation Factors – Physical

Physical factors include the characteristics necessary to design and build a TSMO system such as field devices, central systems, firmware/software, communications, and power connections.

Table 2. Physical implementation factors.
Category Effective Practice
Engineering design
Field devices
  • Ensure proper placement of sensors, signs, and other devices.
  • Perform traffic analysis to inform where blind spots or problem areas exist.
  • Address maintenance access issues (e.g., avoid the need to close travel lanes to service field devices).
Structures
  • Leverage existing overcrossings and structures to reduce cost.
Right-of-way
  • Ensure availability of right-of-way.
  • Confirm agency ownership.
  • Address utilities and design conflicts.
Power connections Coordinate with electrical utility to develop connections.
Communications Ensure networks are redundant and reliable.
Central systems
User interfaces
  • Design a system management interface.
  • Make data available to the private sector in an industry standard format.
Compatibility
  • Ensure system-to-system interface compatibility.
Firmware/software
  • Ensure firmware/software budget includes procurement and development costs.
Interoperability
  • Use applicable intelligent transportation systems (ITS) standards for field devices and central systems.
Commissioning & testing
  • Bench test field devices and central system integration prior to deployment to verify that the system meets requirements.
  • Bring installed devices online to verify that and the system operates correctly in the field environment.
  • Conduct verification and validation testing.
Note: Other physical/design considerations can be found in Federal Highway Administration, Designing for Transportation Management and Operations: A Primer, FHWA-HOP-13-013 (Washington, DC: February 2013). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13013/.

Implementation Factors – Operations and Maintenance

Operations and maintenance factors are characteristics related to the processes and procedures needed for day-to-day operation such as agency roles and responsibilities, operating procedures, and performance measurement.

Table 3. Operations and maintenance implementation factors.
Category Effective Practice
Preventative maintenance
  • Institute preventative maintenance including regular inspection, monitoring, and servicing of field devices.
  • Regularly perform software and firmware updates.
Management
  • Provide resources to staff personnel to manage and oversee operations, as TSMO strategies are often operationally intensive.
  • Rely on partners, especially when their resources better align with TSMO strategies that are mutually beneficial (e.g., many State departments of transportation operate 24/7 and can help after hours).
  • Identify stakeholder roles and responsibilities and work through potential conflicts of interest.
  • Use decision-support systems developed in advance to facilitate a faster response when events occur in real time.
Notification/
  • Establish contact lists and clear protocols for stakeholder notification of events and
Communications
  • Communications throughout the duration of the event.
Planning for failure
Addressing failure
  • Automate processes to notify operators and technicians of system failures.
  • Train maintenance staff on how to resolve issues with new equipment.
Operation during failure
  • Develop procedures and back-up plans in anticipation of system failures.
Prioritizing repair
  • Implement a prioritization scheme for addressing issues, since resource limitations like staffing can extend down time.
System retirement & replacement
  • Plan for end-of-life decommissioning and replacement of the system.

Implementation Factors – Institutional

Institutional factors include the characteristics related to the legal, organizational, and behavioral roles associated with operating and managing a transportation system. These include policies, regulations, intra- and inter-agency coordination, and public-private partnerships.15

Table 4. Institutional implementation factors.
Category Effective Practice
Intra-agency coordination
  • Build and develop new working relationships with other departments (e.g., information technology maintenance, operations, planning, project development, public works, community development) and others that have a stake in transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) systems.
Inter-agency coordination
  • Establish agreements (e.g., memoranda of understanding, intergovernmental agreements) between agencies.
  • Consider full realm of public agency partners such as State departments of transportation, counties, cities, townships, metropolitan planning organizations, councils of government, transit service providers, and toll authorities.
  • Consider non-traditional partners (e.g., private sector information providers, communications network providers, chambers of commerce, neighborhood associations).
Outreach
  • Educate communities and education decisionmakers about TSMO strategies to get public acceptance.
Performance measurement
  • Leverage private sector data as appropriate.
Public-private partnerships
  • Develop procedures and back-up plans in anticipation of system failures.
Data policy
  • Establish data access policies.
  • Establish data quality policies including considering how to consider how to manage failure and poor data.
  • Create data storage and archiving infrastructure policies.
Costing
  • Use the life-cycle costing process to establish a total beginning to end cost for the TSMO strategy.
Staff capability
  • Assign responsibility for maintenance; operations and maintenance staff may be reluctant to learn new technology.
  • Train staff so they understand systems.
  • Secure resources to manage systems, devices, and programming.
  • Cross-train staff to establish clear understanding of all roles and responsibilities.
Path dependencies
  • Address path dependencies regarding equipment compatibility.
Performance monitoring & evaluation
  • Collect quality "before" and "after" data for evaluation.
  • Evaluate and report out the effectiveness of the TSMO strategies.
Establish supporting regulations for strategies
  • May need to update rules and laws (e.g., variable speed limits, part-time shoulder use).
  • Create new rules if necessary.
Procurement
  • Do not low-bid software.
  • Look for opportunities to participate in another agency's procurement.

14 Federal Highway Administration, Systems Engineering for Intelligent Transportation Systems. FHWA-HOP-07-069 (Washington, DC: January 2007). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/seitsguide/index.htm. [ Return to note 14. ]

15 For more information, please see Federal Highway Administration, "Welcome to the Business Process Frameworks for Transportation Operations" web page at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tsmoframeworktool/index.htm. [ Return to note 15. ]

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