2019 Road Weather Management Performance Measures Update

Appendix A: State Department of Transportation Survey

This appendix summarizes the State departments of transportation (DOT) survey questions and results.

Q4. Does your agency regularly collect and report road weather performance measures? (This may include dashboards, winter maintenance reports, seasonal summaries, etc.)

Related performance measure (PM): Number of agencies that collect and report road weather-related performance measures to the public.

Table 4. State DOT Survey Question 4 and Associated Reponses
Answer Options	Percentage
Yes	62%
No	31%
Unsure/Not known	8%

Number Responded 39

Number Skipped 0

Figure 21. On the top half of the page, the pie graph shows agencies regularly collecting and reporting road weather performance measures. A majority of responding agencies regularly collected and reported road weather performance measures.

Figure 21. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 4.

Q5. Does your agency calculate a "winter severity index" to compare performance across events or across years?

Related PM: Number of agencies that collect and report road weather-related performance measures to the public.

Table 5. State DOT Survey Question 5 and Associated Reponses
Answer Options	Percentage
Yes	46%
No	41%
Unsure/Not known	13%

Number Responded 39

Number Skipped 0

Figure 22. On the top half of the page, a pie graph shows agencies calculating a winter severity index across the years. Close to half of respondents calculated a winter severity index, but almost a half did not.

Figure 22. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 5.

Q6. Does your agency have a process for evaluating the return on investment (ROI) or net benefits of road weather management investments?

Related PM: Number of agencies that have a process for evaluating the return on investment (ROI) or net benefit of their road weather management investments.

Table 6. State DOT Survey Question 6 and Associated Reponses
Answer Options	Percentage
Yes	10%
No	72%
Unsure/Not known	18%

Number Responded 39

Number Skipped 0

Figure 23. On the top half of the page a pie graph shows agencies that have a ROI or net benefit process for road weather management investments. A vast majority of respondents did not have a process.

Figure 23. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 6.

Q7. What are your agency's sources of weather and road weather information? (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of DOTs that subscribe to road weather products and services.

Table 7. State DOT Survey Question 7 and Associated Responses¹⁰
Answer Options	Response Count	Percentage
Fixed Agency Sensors (RWIS)	37	94.9%
Mobile Agency Sensors (IMO)	22	56.4%
Private Weather Service Providers	26	66.7%
Agency Field Personnel	31	79.5%
Public/Social Media	30	76.9%
FAA Products (ASOS, AWOS)	16	41.0%
National Weather Service Products	33	84.6%
NOAA's MADIS	7	17.9%
USGS Earthquake Alerts	8	20.5%
Not Sure/Unknown	0	0.0%
Other	5	12.8%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 39

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 0

Figure 24. On the bottom half of the page, a horizontal graph shows agencies source of weather and road weather information.

Figure 24. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 7.

Other responses included:

Iowa Environmental Mesonet
Fleet deployment
Phone a friend
In-house meteorologist
MDSS

Q7.1: Does your agency have a signed data sharing agreement with the following? (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of DOTs that subscribe to road weather products and services.

Table 8. State DOT Survey Question 7.1 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	Number of Responses	Percent of Responses
Weather Data Environment (WxDE) Data Sharing Agreement with FHWA	11	29%
MADIS Data Sharing Agreement with NOAA	12	32%
Private/Third Party	18	47%
Not Sure/Unknown	11	29%
Other (Please Specify):	6	16%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 38

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 1

Figure 25. On the bottom half of the page, a horizontal bar graph shows percentage of agencies with signed data sharing agreements.

Figure 25. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 8.

Other responses included:

FAA
Vaisala Corp
We have something that was signed to allow Vaisala to share our RWIS data with MADIS. We also have an agreement with Waze, but not sure if it gets into anything relating to weather.
I believe we're sharing data with FHWA, but am uncertain.
We share our weather data but a signed agreement is not required.
Our data is freely available. Agreement was questioned by the AG office.

Q8. Does your agency collect real-time field data from maintenance vehicles?

Related PM: Number of State DOTs collecting mobile observations of road weather data from vehicle fleets.

Table 9. State DOT Survey Question 8 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	#	%
Yes	30	76.9%
No	9	23.1%
Not Sure/Unknown	0	0.0%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 39

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 0

Figure 26. On the bottom half of the page, a pie chart shows if agencies collect real time maintenance vehicle data. Over three quarters of respondents collected real time maintenance vehicle data.

Figure 26. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 8.

Q8.1. If you answered "Yes" to question #8, which of the following data are collected from maintenance vehicles, and from what percentage of the applicable fleets? (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of State DOTs collecting mobile observations of road weather data from vehicle fleets.

Table 10. State DOT Survey Question 8.1 and Associated Responses
	100%	At Least 50% but Less Than 100%	At Least 25% but Less Than 50%	Less Than 25%	Not Collected	Unsure / Unknown	Total	% Collecting Mobile Observations
Plow Status and Material Usage	6	10	3	7	2	1	29	89.7%
Atmospheric Weather Data (Air Temperature, Relative Humidity, etc.)	5	10	1	9	2	2	29	86.2%
Road Weather Conditions Data (Pavement Temperature, etc.)	5	7	3	10	2	2	29	86.2%

Q9. How many Environmental Sensor Stations (ESS) does your state agency operate statewide?

Related PM: Number of State DOTs reporting the use of Environmental Sensor Stations (ESS) in operations and maintenance activities.

Table 11. State DOT Survey Question 9 and Associated Responses
Total ESS Sites	2,610

# States Responded 35

# States Skipped 3

Q9.1. Describe how you use your ESS (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of State DOTs reporting the use of Environmental Sensor Stations (ESS) in operations and maintenance activities.

Table 12. State DOT Survey Question 9.1 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	#	%
Provide Current Conditions to Traveler Information Systems	21	55.3%
Input for Segment-Level Forecasts	16	42.1%
Support Traffic Management and Maintenance Decision-Making (e.g., MDSS)	35	92.1%
Not Sure/Unknown	0	0.0%
Other	2	5.3%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 38

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 1

Figure 27. On the lower half of the page, ESS use by Percentage of Agencies is shown.

Figure 27. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 9.1.

Q10. Has your agency developed applications or tools that rely on availability of real-time mobile data from vehicle fleets and/or vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity?

Related PM: Number of/percentage of responding agencies using mobile data-based applications in road weather management.

Table 13. State DOT Survey Question 5 and Associated Reponses
Answer Options	Percentage
Developed applications that use both real-time data from vehicle fleets and vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity	17%
Developed applications that use real-time data from vehicle fleets	28%
Considering, but Not Yet Developed	47%
Not Sure/Unknown	8%

Number Responded 36

Number Skipped 3

Figure 28. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 10.

Q11. Describe the level of deployment in your agency of the following road weather information strategies. (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of states disseminating advisory weather and road weather information to travelers.

Table 14. State DOT Survey Question 10 and Associated Reponses
	Deployed Statewide (or in all applicable locations)	Limited or Partial Deployment	Not Yet Deployed	Unsure / Unknown	Skipped
Atmospheric Weather Information on Dynamic Message Signs	28.2%	43.6%	25.6%	0.0%	2.6%
Road Condition Information on Dynamic Message Signs	59.0%	38.5%	0.0%	2.6%	0.0%
Road Condition Information on Highway Advisory Radio	48.7%	41.0%	10.3%	0.0%	0.0%
Road Condition Information on Agency-Hosted Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) or Mobile Applications	23.1%	33.3%	28.2%	10.3%	2.6%
Road Condition Information on Agency-Hosted Websites or 511 Phone Systems	76.9%	15.4%	2.6%	5.1%	0.0%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 39

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 0

Figure 29. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 11.

Q11.1. Was your agency's decision to deploy any of the road weather information strategies identified influenced by FHWA's Pathfinder initiative?

Related PM: Number of states disseminating advisory weather and road weather information to travelers.

Table 15. State DOT Survey Question 11.1 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	#	%
Yes	21	57%
No	10	27%
Not Sure/Unknown	6	16%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 37

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 2

Figure 30. On the top half of the page, a pie chart shows the FHWA's Pathfinder division influenced road weather information strategies. Over half of the respondents said the Pathfinder decision did influence their strategies.

Figure 30. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 11.1.

Q12. Has your agency deployed safety warning systems related to road weather events?

Related PM: Number of states disseminating advisory weather and road weather information to travelers.

Table 16. State DOT Survey Question 12 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	#	%
Yes	19	50%
No	15	39%
Not Sure/Unknown	4	11%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 38

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 1

Figure 31. On the top half of the page a pie chart displays agencies that have deployed Safety Warning Systems related to Road Weather Events. About half of the respondents have deployed safety warning systems related to road weather events, about 40% have not, and about 10% answered unsure/unknown.

Figure 31. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 12.

Q12.1. If you answered "Yes" to question #12, please select which types of hazards are included in your agency's safety warning system(s). (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of states disseminating advisory weather and road weather information to travelers.

Table 17. State DOT Survey Question 12.1 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	#	%
Icy Roads	18	90%
Fog	14	70%
Wind	11	55%
Dust	4	20%
Snow	16	80%
Flood	13	65%
Other	2	10%
Not Sure/Unknown	0	0%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 20

Figure 32. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 12.1.

Other responses included:

Blowing snow. We would also communicate anything else necessary using various messaging methods.
NWS watches and warnings

Q13. Describe the level of deployment in your agency of the following weather responsive traffic management strategies. (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of agencies using control and treatment strategies during weather events.

Table 18. State DOT Survey Question 13 and Associated Responses
	Deployed Statewide (or in All Applicable Locations)	Limited or Partial Deployment	Not Yet Deployed	Unsure/Unknown
Ramp Meters	5.3%	15.8%	73.7%	5.3%
Traffic Signal Timing	5.1%	17.9%	71.8%	5.1%
Variable Speed Limits	2.6%	34.2%	63.2%	0.0%
Temporary Vehicle Restrictions	13.5%	24.3%	51.4%	10.8%
Lane/Road Closure and Traffic Diversions	32.4%	37.8%	21.6%	8.1%
Traffic Incident Management	46.2%	43.6%	5.1%	5.1%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 39

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 0

Figure 33. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 13.

Q14. Describe your level of interaction with the National Weather Service local forecast offices for road weather management and operations activities.

Related PM: Number of agencies that coordinate with their local forecast offices for road weather management and operations.

Table 19. State DOT Survey Question 14 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	Percentage
Rely only on publicity available information via media and NWS, but no direct interaction or coordination	0.0%
Limited coordination and only during major weather events	7.7%
Routine coordination. Have access to meteorological expertise to assist with decision-making for most events	71.8%
Not sure/unknown	0.0%
Starting to work with local NWS offices and other weather agencies, but limited to major events	20.5%

Total 39

Number Skipped 0

Figure 34. On the bottom half of the page, a pie chart shows interaction levels with national weather service local forecast offices. A vast majority of respondents have routine coordination.

Figure 34. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 14.

Q15. Does your agency use a winter Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) for snow and ice control? A winter MDSS includes software that proves strategic and tactical weather forecasts, supports treatment decision making and provides summary reports of weather event performance.

Related PM: Number of agencies adopting MDSS technologies and methods.

Table 20. State DOT Survey Question 15 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	Percentage
Yes — Use an MDSS Statewide	33.3%
Yes — Use an MDSS, but Not Statewide	12.8%
No — Need an MDSS, but Currently Do Not Have a System	17.9%
No — Do Not Need an MDSS	28.2%
Not Sure/Unknown	7.7%

Total 39

Number Skipped 0

Figure 35. On the bottom half of the page, a pie chart shows if agencies use MDSS for snow and ice control. About a third used MDSS statewide while a little less than a third do not need MDSS.

Figure 35. Chart. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 15.

Q15.1. If you answered "No — need an MDSS, but currently do not have a system" to question #15, please provide the reason(s)for the lack of implementation.

Related PM: Number of agencies adopting MDSS technologies and methods.

Currently working on getting one established; Connecticut DOT is waiting for State Administrative Services to complete pending contract with a vendor
Lack of accurate forecast due to region of country; border cold and warm states
Agree with the concept. Current systems do not appear to be a good match at this time. (i.e., waiting for more kinks to get worked out)
Not enough ITS build-out
Confidence in available off-the-shelf mobile systems
Not sure we 100% need one but are interested in testing application
Perceived value of MDSS doesn't equal cost to implement
Probably due to the fact that the need is very limited. There are a couple of relatively mild winter weather events in only certain parts of Texas each year. An MDSS would be helpful but the benefit may not justify the costs. Funding

Q16. Does your agency use other decision support tools (besides a winter MDSS) for road weather management? If yes, what are these tools used for? (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of agencies using other weather-related decision support tools.

Table 21. State DOT Survey Question 16 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	Percentage
None	15.4%
Providing Traveler Information	61.5%
Coordination with Other Jurisdictions/Agencies	53.8%
Supporting Non-Winter Maintenance Activities (e.g., Maintenance Scheduling, Construction Coordination)	43.6%
Traffic Control and Management (e.g., Speed Limit Determination, Signal Timing Plans, Ramp Metering Rates)	25.6%
Setting Seasonal Load Restrictions	23.1%
Not Sure/Unknown	5.1%
Other	7.7%

Total 39

Number Skipped 0

Figure 36. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 16.

Other responses included:

Flood/disaster response
The INRIX data is impacted by weather events as vehicles slow, incidents increase, etc. Directly feeds travel times on our DMS boards, color corridor goes from green to yellow to red during (bad/extreme conditions) weather events.
Route Optimization

Q17. What types of traffic analysis and simulation tools does your agency use for planning and evaluating road weather management strategies? (Check all that apply):

Related PM: Number of agencies reporting use of appropriate analysis tools to factor weather impacts and strategies.

Table 22. State DOT Survey Question 17 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	Percentage
None	35.1%
Sketch-Planning Analysis Tools	2.7%
Travel Demand Analysis Tools	2.7%
Macroscopic Simulation Models	2.7%
Mesoscopic Simulation Models	2.7%
Microscopic Simulation Models	2.7%
Deterministic Analysis Tools (HCM-Based)	0.0%
Traffic Signal Optimization Tools	13.5%
Not Sure/Unknown	48.6%
Other	0.0%

Total 37

Number Skipped 2

Figure 37. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 17.

Q18. Has your agency (and, in particular, road weather management related staff) participated in extreme weather, transportation resilience, or climate adaptation practices/reviews?

Related PM: Number of agencies conducting vulnerability/risk assessment or developing/implementing resiliency plans, for their road weather management infrastructure and processes to respond to extreme weather.

Table 23. State DOT Survey Question 18 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	Percentage
Conducted a Vulnerability/Risk Assessment for Road Weather Management Infrastructure	25%
Developed/Implemented Process for Responding to Extreme Weather	47%
Developed/Implemented Resiliency Plans for Road Weather Management Infrastructure	28%
Participated in State DOT Resilience Adaptation Planning Activities	22%
Agency Has Not Participated in Development of Adaptation Practices	11%
Not Sure/Unknown	25%

Total 36

Number Skipped 3

Figure 38. Graph. Responses from State department of transportation survey question 18.

Q19. Would you be willing to participate in the next update of this survey?

Related PM: Number of agencies that have a process for evaluating the return on investment (ROI) or net benefit of their road weather management investments.

Table 24. State DOT Survey Question 12 and Associated Responses
Answer Options	#	%
Yes	37	97%
No	0	0%
Not Sure/Unknown	1	3%

# Respondents Who Answered Question 38

# Respondents Who Skipped Question 1

¹⁰ ASOS = Automated Surface Observing System. AWOS = Automated Weather Observation System. FAA = Federal Aviation Administration. NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. RWIS = Road Weather Information System. USGS = U.S. Geological Survey. [ Return to Note 10 ]

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