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This report summarizes the results of several initiatives regarding the ongoing support of arterial management systems within the region, including a stakeholder survey, case studies that assess the experience of other regions, and a regional stakeholder forum, held August 14, 2001. It also contains findings and recommendations. Arterial management systems can be an effective component in a regional strategy to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and enhance safety. To facilitate the deployment of arterial management systems within the region, the Minnesota Department of Transportation Metro Division led the development of the Metropolitan Arterial ITS Deployment Plan, completed in August 2000. During plan development, it became apparent that success would depend not only on a sound deployment strategy but also on the ongoing support of arterial operations and system maintenance. Agencies within the region regularly and successfully develop inter-jurisdictional agreements to conduct operations and maintenance. This study builds on these successful inter-jurisdictional agreements and investigates other strategies for addressing operations and maintenance issues as an entire region, including the feasibility of a regional operations and maintenance program. This report outlines the activities and findings of the efforts' first phase.

The objectives of this assessment are: to estimate the potential benefits of the Driver Assist System (DAS) for winter maintenance activities; to assess and describe the potential market for the DAS technologies as well as the approximate price point at which the system would be commercially viable, and; to determine where, geographically, DAS technology would be most cost-effective. The findings presented in this report are based on information that was gathered through an extensive literature review and a series of interviews conducted with state and county maintenance engineers and supervisors, equipment vendors, system integrators, equipment procurement personnel, and individuals involved in various aspects of risk management for transportation agencies. The expected benefits of DAS on winter maintenance vehicles include the reduction in travel times, less disruption to routine travel behavior and improved safety for the traveling public during and immediately following winter weather events. Winter weather events have a substantial impact on traveler safety, economic activity, and transportation maintenance costs. The functional objective of the DAS is to provide snowplow operators a means to operate snowplows during periods of low visibility. The study assesses the issue of visibility from the perspective of both snowplow operators and maintenance engineers.

The North/West Passage Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program is a multi-state cooperative program for the coordination, development, and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems projects along I-90 and I-94 from the states of Wisconsin to Washington. Individual states along the corridor have developed different systems for collecting, processing and integrating traveler and road maintenance information, and for delivering this information to users. As a result traveler information along the corridor has not been "seamless" or readily integrated and shared across borders. The objective of this TPF Study Phase I was to influence ongoing standards development; and utilize effective methods for coordinating, integrating, and sharing of traveler information across borders. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT) was the lead agency for this study with North Dakota DOT and Wisconsin DOT also contributing funding for Phase I. A Steering Committee, consisting of members from the eight corridor states (Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), met monthly to coordinate efforts. The Federal Highway Administration served as a monitoring body, providing strategic and technical input. The committee successfully completed eight Phase I corridor projects and approved a Phase II Work Plan focusing on a corridor strategic plan.