Leon Osborne

Weather Integration in Transportation Management Centers

Traffic management centers (TMCs) serve to integrate technologies, agencies, and information to improve the safety and efficiency of transportation and transit systems. The thesis of this paper is that the integration of weather systems and information into transportation operations, specifically in TMCs, will improve operational performance and offer travelers increased mobility and safety benefits. The findings that are presented are based on a study of integrated operations at 38 TMCs across the country and reflect a range of weather experience, size and type of transportation system, and integration concepts and strategies. The paper offers a conceptual framework for understanding weather integration in traffic operations. The framework identifies a set of determinants of integration that are linked to operational performance and illustrates five key dimensions of integration. Field research showed how TMCs differ on these dimensions and the integration strategies they employ to achieve their desired ...