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The traveling public increasingly relies on navigation systems, either as part of their vehicles or through their handheld phones or mobile devices. Currently there is not a consistent system, tool, or process being used by cities and counties in Minnesota to report road or bridge closures that local transportation agencies can use to display to the traveling public or provide to third-party mapping/navigation companies (e.g., Waze, TomTom, HERE Technologies, Google, Apple) so that these companies can display the information to the public. To move toward an approach for reporting road and bridge closures by local counties and cities, the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) initiated this project, Using Apps to Notify the Public of Local Road and Bridge Closures. The objectives of this project were to identify and describe an approach the Minnesota LRRB could use to implement a user-friendly road closure reporting system and develop a guide on how local agencies could currently report closures to third-party mapping and navigation companies.

A fully interactive PC-based STISIM driving simulator compared dual-phase Changeable Message Signs (CMSs) and static CMSs. The participants were 120 licensed drivers from three age groups: 18-24, 32-47, and 55- 65 years of age. They drove eleven miles on a simulated six-lane highway towards an airport, knowing which airline to look for. Airline information was provided on two separate CMSs located 500 ft (152.4 m) apart on the highway in one condition, or on a single dual-phase CMS in the other condition. The participants took the correct exit on 89.6% of the drives (215 of 240). There were no statistically significant differences between the number of participants who failed to take the correct exit in the dual-phase and the static CMS conditions. On the approach to the CMSs displaying airline information, there were significant differences in average speed between the three age groups-younger drivers drove faster than middle age and older drivers. However, average speeds were not different in the dual-phase and static CMS conditions. Some individuals reduced speed on approaching the CMSs-suggesting similar reductions could occur in real world driving in free flow conditions. There were no differences in the number or magnitude of the speed reductions for the dual-phase and static CMS conditions. In this experiment, displaying airline information on a single dual-phase CMS was as effective in influencing driving behavior as displaying the same airline information on two static CMSs.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) conducted a two-year study on developing a concept of the Next Generation Road/Weather Information System (NG-R/WIS). This report describes the concept and a prototype implementation of the NG-R/WIS in Minnesota District-1. Traditional R/WISs offer limited scope of data types, limited communication methods, and proprietary incompatibility problems. The R/WIS in Minnesota District-1 experienced the typical problems of the traditional R/WIS. This project looked a solution to those problems-developing a new layered hierarchical architecture referred to as NG-R/WI. Four layers--a sensor layer, a data integration, a database layer, and an application layer--form the basis of the NG-R/WIS form the basis of the NG/RWIS. This architecture allowed integration of heterogeneous systems through the data integration layer and provided structured data to applications through a standard relational database and computer networks. This project developed three applications: web page service, automated voice service, and live stream-video service. The web pages and automated voice services provided solutions for unlimited access from anywhere, unified data format, ease of use, and no requirements of special terminals or software. The live video stream demonstrated integration capability of the system and provided a new class of information. The report concludes with the recommendations and future directions of the proposed NG-RWIS.

In FY2022, the MnDOT Office of Research and Innovation managed a total of 215 active and completed projects, of which 75 received partial or full funding from the Local Road Research Board (LRRB). Evaluating the benefits of this research and effectively communicating the benefits to diverse audiences serves several important purposes. It helps both MnDOT and LRRB gain insights into the outcomes of their investments in research and innovation. It also promotes continued exploration and implementation of new knowledge and technology within the field of transportation and aids in prioritizing future research implementation projects. This project involved a comprehensive review of the existing tools and processes used by MnDOT and LRRB for research benefit evaluation and communication and proposed a versatile multi-stage framework that can be adapted for various project types. This framework not only allows for long-term tracking of benefits but can also be integrated into the current research cycle. Furthermore, it incorporates and builds on existing tools, making it a valuable addition to the research and innovation process.

This spreadsheet tool accompanies Report 2023-39, "Evaluating and Communicating the Value of Research," published November 2023

This brochure accompanies Report 2023-39, "Evaluating and Communicating the Value of Research," published November 2023.

Basic Safety Message (BSM) containing data about the vehicle's position, speed, and acceleration. Roadside receivers, RSUs, can capture BSM broadcasts and translate them into information about traffic conditions. If every vehicle is equipped with awareness, BSMs can be combined to calculate traffic flows, speeds, and densities. These three key parameters will be post-processed to obtain queue lengths and travel time estimates. The project team proposed a traffic state estimation algorithm using BSMs based on the Kalman filter technique. The algorithm's performance was tested with BSMs generated from several arterial in a microscopic simulation model and BSMs generated with radar data collected on freeway sections. Then the project team developed a traffic monitoring system to apply the algorithm to a large-scale network with different types of roads. In the system, computers could remotely access the online server to acquire BSMs and estimate traffic states in real-time.

Whether you're a social media newbie or a communications professional, there are always new trends, technology, and platforms to learn, and it can be overwhelming. This guide will help the average local transportation practitioner cut through the noise and identify best practices to more effectively communicate with local residents on social media for transportation and public works topics.

This Technical Summary pertains to the Report 2010-02, “Comparison of Dual-Phase and Static Changeable Message Signs to Convey Airline Information on Interstate Freeways,” published January 2010.

This Technical Summary pertains to LRRB-produced Report 2018-08, “Effective Social Media Engagement Options for Minnesota’s Diversifying Population,” published February 2018.