Geographic information systems (GIS)

To better prepare for the operations of an automated shuttle bus in mixed general traffic and in Minnesota cold weather climate conditions; MnDOT is conducting an Autonomous Bus Pilot project. The purpose of the proposed Minnesota Autonomous Bus Pilot project is to define an automated vehicle pilot and solicit technology partners to come to Minnesota to work with the stakeholders in safely demonstrating the technology.

The objectives of this project are focused on a new cone penetration testing (CPT) geotechnical design manual for highway and transportation applications based on recent research and innovation covering the period from 2000 to 2018. A step-by-step procedure is outlined on how to use CPT data in the analysis and design of common geotechnical tasks. Previous manuals are either very outdated with information from 1970-1996; or not appropriately targeted to transportation works. This design document introduces modern and recent advancements in CPT research not otherwise captured in legacy manuals from the 1990's and earlier. Examples and case studies are provided for each topic interpreted using CPT measures. In the manual; a step-by-step procedure is outlined on how to use CPT data in analysis and design for typical geotechnical practices. These topics; which are applicable both to state highways and local roads; include bridge foundations (including shallow footings and deep foundations) and soil characterization (including determination of standard soil engineering properties).

This report discusses the results of a study to quantify the performance of low-cost; centimeter-level accurate Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers that have appeared on the market in the last few years. Centimeter-level accuracy is achieved using a complex algorithm known as real-time kinematic (RTK) processing. It involves processing correction data from a ground network of GNSS receivers in addition to the signals transmitted by the GNSS satellites. This makes RTK-capable receivers costly (in excess of $10;000) and bulky; making them unsuitable for cost- and size-sensitive transportation applications (e.g.; driver assist systems in vehicles). If inexpensive GNSS receivers capable of generating a position solution with centimeter accuracy were widely available; they would push the GNSS revolution in ground transportation even further as an enabler of safety enhancements such as ubiquitous lane-departure warning systems and enhanced stability-control systems. Recently manufacturers have been advertising the availability of low-cost (< $1;000) RTK-capable receivers. The work described in this report provides an independent performance assessment of these receivers relative to high-end (and costly) receivers in realistic settings encountered in transportation applications.

A pilot study was conducted to characterize and map the areas susceptible to slope failure using state-wide available data. The objective was to determine whether it would be possible to provide slope-failure susceptibility mapping that could be used by local road and highway officials to understand better where slope failure may occur. This would allow the possibility of taking preventative measures where indicated; or developing contingency plans for areas of likely failure. As a first step; a review of pertinent slope-failure literature was conducted to determine which past studies could offer information or guidance useful for developing the mapping. The review helped identify which methods and factors could be most effectively used in assessing susceptibility to slope failure. Then; using physics-based concepts; and making use of publicly-available topographic; soils; and hydrologic information; an approach was developed for using the data to identify conditions under which slope failure would be likely. This approach was incorporated into a GIS-based model that produced mapping wherein slopes were identified and assigned one of five levels (very high to very low) of slopefailure susceptibility. The model was tested against a relatively small area in Carlton County to confirm that the indicated susceptibility to failure correlated well with locations in which there was observable or documented slope failure. The method was then validated by applying it to small areas in Sibley and Carver Counties where slope failures had occurred. Having validated the underlying physics-based approach; the mapping was then expanded to two Carlton and Sibley Counties.

The use of LIDAR is becoming more common among state, county, and local agencies. It presents a means for collecting a great deal of information about the geometry of a road, its surrounding area, and depending on the sensors used, real-time 3D information about vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian movements. The main focus of this project was to develop and conduct two workshops in Minnesota for public DOT and GIS professionals to provide information on the state of the art in mobile LIDAR scanning. Topics included the basics of LIDAR operation, an overview of currently available hardware, as well as current and future applications of the technology. Additionally, the workshops featured a live demonstration of a Velodyne HDL-64E 3D LIDAR scanner. A sample application was developed to both demonstrate and better understand the capabilities of a real-time 3D LIDAR scanner. This work focused on developing a system capable of automatically collecting vehicle trajectories through intersections using 3D LIDAR data. This application showed that LIDAR might be a suitable tool for collecting traffic data and provided valuable information about the strengths and limitations of such a system. This project was designed to provide transportation and GIS professionals with accurate, current, and applicable information about LIDAR systems. To accomplish this, existing LIDAR knowledge was combined with market survey research as well as with new information gathered through the process of creating a sample application. This knowledge was aggregated and used to create a workshop that was informative and well received by participants.

The District 3 I-94 and District 6 I-35 Alternate Route Signing Final Report chronicles the process of developing an alternate route system for interstate corridors. Major delays and roadway closures occur along the Interstate system as various incidents occur on the roadway. These incidents require cooperation between MnDOT, Minnesota State Patrol, and local first responders to respond to the scene and manage Interstate traffic until the corridor can be opened. These alternate routes provide guidance to first responders and MnDOT staff should an incident occur. Alternate route systems were developed for the I-94 corridor through District 3 and the I-35 corridor through District 6. The process used in developing these alternate routes is transferable to other corridors throughout the State. This research project includes the route development process and the development of two final deliverables for use by MnDOT Districts and local stakeholders. The process of developing alternate routes required field review exercises and input from the project's Technical Advisory Panel and other local stakeholders. The project resulted in the development of an Alternate Route Operations Guide and a Signing Plan. The Alternate Route Operations Guide is intended to provide a tool for first responders during an incident by providing suggested routes and temporary traffic control with an outline of the necessary actions for implementation. Suggested static signing locations are provided within the Signing Plans developed with the project.

This project extended the existing Cyclopath and Cycloplan bicycle routing and planning system. The primary goal of this project was to develop a statewide bicycle map. The map was intended to serve multiple purposes, including: Giving people throughout Minnesota easy access to bicycle routing information, thus making it easier for them to utilize bicycling as transportation; Supporting long-distance bicycle travel and bicycle travel outside of urban areas; Compiling disparate sets of bikeways data - from different sources and in different formats - into a single, unified dataset and tool; Serving as a collaborative tool for public participation and inter-agency cooperation. We achieved these goals by working closely with relevant stakeholders - both end users and planners - over the life of this project. The result is a version of Cyclopath that: Enables bicycle routing for the entire state of Minnesota; Features a significantly simplified and improved end-user interface; Adds useful new features for transportation planners.

Our objective is the development and evaluation of a low-cost, vehicle-mounted sensor suite capable of generating map data with lane and road boundary information accurate to the 10 cm (4 in) level. Such a map could be used for a number of different applications including GNSS/GPS based lane departure avoidance systems, smart phone based dynamic curve speed warning systems, basemap improvements, among others. The sensor suite used consists of a high accuracy GNSS receiver, a side-facing video camera, and a computer. Including cabling and mounting hardware, the equipment costs were roughly $30,000. Here, the side-facing camera is used to record video of the ground adjacent to the passenger side of the vehicle. The video is processed using a computer vision algorithm that locates the fog line within the video frame. Using vehicle position data (provided by GNSS) and previously collected video calibration data, the fog line is located in real-world coordinates. The system was tested on two roads (primarily two-lane, undivided highway) for which high accuracy (<10 cm) maps were available. This offset between the reference data and the computed fog line position was generally better than 7.5 cm (3 in). The results of this work demonstrate that it is feasible to use a camera to detect the position of a road's fog lines, or more broadly any other lane markings, which when integrated into a larger mobile data collection system, can provide accurate lane and road boundary information about road geometry.

By using a relatively new technology, mobile Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and imagery, MnDOT obtained accurate roadway data in a safe and efficient manner. Using a manual extraction technique, MnDOT created a Geographic Information System (GIS) inventory of geospatial coordinate locations, asset attributes, and condition data for plate beam guardrails and concrete barriers. The LiDAR data was utilized for internal communication and visual rendering and will be used in the future to assist with roadway design. The project challenges were mostly technical in nature and highlight the importance of having a clear quality assurance/quality control process. The benefits of the project include, but are not limited to: calculating barrier replacement costs, scoping and budgeting future projects based on condition and future fed/state standard changes, allowing for better planning of maintenance activities, utilizing the imagery to extract other assets, and construction cost savings due to increased design accuracy.

This document summarizes the development of a scalable, reliable, and practical process for viewing, querying, understanding, and making consistent, objective, and cost effective decisions regarding pavement marking needs, durability, and quality. The research team developed a Web-based pavement marking management system through the development environment of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 ASP.NET in conjunction with ESRI's ArcGIS Sever Enterprise 9.2 SP4 functionalities to manage and produce the GIS map resources. The web site hosting itself was done on a Windows based server operating Internet Information Services (IIS). The resulting web based mapping tool provides Mn/DOT staff the ability to map and query pavement marking retroreflectivity information and serves as a significant resource to both district and central office staff in developing short and long-term pavement marking plans.