Qualitative Study of the Core Functions of Smart Traffic Centers at the Virginia Department of Transportation.

摘要

The Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) Smart Traffic Centers (STCs) were established to address the growing problem of increased congestion caused by traffic demand exceeding roadway capacity. Initially, the core function of the STC was simply to get information to the public. However, VDOT's STCs were established at different times with different approaches to meet regional traffic needs. As a result, practices, processes, organizational structures, and relationships with other VDOT functions vary widely among STCs. With this complexity, the definition of the STCs core functions has evolved. To develop a clear understanding of these core functions, a group composed of STC operations managers was formed and this study was undertaken. The study found that the core function of VDOT's STCs has expanded beyond disseminating information to the public, although that activity remains a critical tool of traffic and incident management. Specifically, STCs have four core functions: (1) traffic management, (2) incident management, (3) emergency operations/emergency management, and (4) regional networking. Incident management activities and events define the vast majority of work and, therefore, drive the development of systems, procedures, policies, and relationships with communities, agencies, and private companies with whom an STC must work on a daily basis.