Connected Vehicle-Enabled Weather Responsive Traffic Management

Gopalakrishna, Deepak; Kitchener, Fred; Serulle, Nayel Urena; Neuner, Michelle; Schmit, Joe; Donaldson, Gene S.; Duvall, Jennifer · 2018 · ROSA P / United States. Dept. of Transportation. ITS Joint Program Office

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Summary

This report addresses the integration of connected vehicle (CV) technology into Weather Responsive Traffic Management (WRTM) to mitigate mobility and safety challenges caused by adverse weather. Traditional WRTM strategies rely on fixed Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS), which suffer from limited coverage, high maintenance costs, and gaps in real-time data. The research aims to strengthen the linkages between WRTM and CV technology, providing guidance to help State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) translate research concepts into real-world operational applications. The project was motivated by the need to overcome existing challenges in data collection, traveler communication, and operational integration between maintenance and traffic management units. The study employed a multi-phase approach involving a comprehensive review of the state of practice, an evaluation of road weather messaging effectiveness, and the development of deployment guidelines. These guidelines established three implementation pathways: intelligent agency fleets, connected vehicles (vehicle-to-infrastructure), and connected third-party fleet services. To validate these guidelines, the project provided technical assistance to two pilot implementations: the Washington State DOT and the Delaware DOT. Additionally, the team conducted a fourth national WRTM workshop to gather stakeholder feedback. The review analyzed federal initiatives, such as the Integrated Mobile Observations project and various pilot programs in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Michigan, to identify best practices and constraints. Key findings from the pilot implementations and literature review demonstrated that CV-enabled systems significantly enhance data density and operational efficiency. For instance, prior implementations using mobile data in Wyoming resulted in twice as many road condition reports and three times more variable speed limit change requests compared to manual methods, with improved timeliness and accuracy. The developed guidelines provide specific system development steps, performance measures, and institutional considerations for each of the three pathways. The Washington State and Delaware DOT pilots successfully tested these frameworks, confirming the feasibility of integrating CV data into traveler information systems and maintenance decision support tools. The report also identified common road weather messages and evaluated their effectiveness in conveying CV-derived information to travelers. The significance of this work lies in providing a structured roadmap for accelerating the deployment of CV-WRTM strategies. By offering detailed guidelines and evidence from pilot projects, the report enables agencies to overcome the "unknowns" associated with converting research into implementation. It highlights how CV technology can expand network coverage, provide disaggregated data, and improve the coordination between maintenance and operations. The findings support the broader FHWA Road Weather Management Program by establishing a foundation for future innovations in active traffic management, winter maintenance, and traveler information systems, ultimately aiming to improve roadway safety and mobility during adverse weather events.

Key finding

The report provides deployment guidelines and implementation pathways for integrating connected vehicle technology into weather responsive traffic management, validated through pilot projects in Washington and Delaware.

Methodology

review

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (45 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• v2x connected vehicle