Best Its Management Practices And Technologies For Ohio

To address congestion and safety concerns on Ohio's Macro Highway System, the following priorities were identified in this research report as solutions in urban areas: (1) incident management, (2) arterial signal coordination (primarily the responsibility of local governments), and (3) traffic control during construction and maintenance activities. On rural sections of highway maintained by ODOT, the priorities identified for improvement are: (1) traffic control during construction and maintenance activities, (2) weather/snow and ice monitoring, and (3) advanced traveler information systems. Specific technologies were explored in four areas that were identified to be of primary interest to ODOT: traffic detection, traffic controllers, dynamic message signs, and communications technologies. The following specific recommendations were made: (1) that ODOT pursue installation and use of nonintrusive detection methods wherever practical; (2) that ODOT continue its direction of procuring and installing 2070 Lite controllers and develop the capability to maintain these devices as well; (3) that limited use be made of the large dynamic message signs that are typically mounted on sign bridges over multiple lanes of freeways, and that smaller, cantilever-mounted or median-mounted signs be used in most situations; and (4) that a common ITS communications architecturel master plan be defined for each region to establish cost-effective deployment and operations of field devices and center components. It was further recommended that collocation of police and fire agencies be integral to ITS investments in urban areas of Ohio. Flexibility is the key to district staffing levels during the next several years of ITS deployment. To address equity issues, ODOT should centralize ITS operations and maintenance funding until ITS deployment becomes more widespread and integrated into District Offices' planning and operations, and into the Central Office functions including most major units within the Department.