National Evaluation of the FY 2003 Earmarked ITS Integration Project: Southern Wyoming, I-80 Dynamic Message Signs Phase II Evaluation Report

Sanchez, Robert R.; Carter, Mark (Mark R.); Mitchell, Carol · 2007 · ROSA P / United States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation Systems

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Summary

This report presents the Phase II (baseline) evaluation of the Southern Wyoming Interstate 80 (I-80) Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) project, an Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) integration initiative led by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). The project aims to improve safety, mobility, and traveler satisfaction along the I-80 Summit Corridor between Cheyenne and Laramie, a critical freight corridor prone to hazardous weather conditions, high winds, and frequent road closures. The evaluation, conducted by Science Applications International Corporation for the U.S. Department of Transportation, focuses on establishing pre-deployment performance metrics to facilitate future "before-and-after" analyses of system impacts. The methodology involves collecting and analyzing historical data from January 1999 through December 2005 to establish baseline conditions for crashes, incident response times, road closures, traffic volume, and weather conditions. The evaluation framework assesses four key areas: safety impacts (crash rates and severity), mobility impacts (incident response and road closure durations), customer satisfaction (traveler perceptions), and lessons learned. Data sources include the Wyoming Accident Reporting System, WYDOT dispatcher logs, traffic count records, and environmental sensor station data. The report also includes a risk assessment regarding the likelihood of completing the subsequent Phase III evaluation, which will analyze post-deployment data once the ITS devices—including DMS, speed sensors, Highway Advisory Radio, and CCTV—are fully operational. The findings provide a detailed characterization of pre-deployment system performance. Analysis of 2,019 crashes revealed significant insights into contributing factors, including weather, road conditions, and human elements. Notably, icy road conditions were reported in 74% of crashes in the Summit Corridor, with blowing snow identified as the primary cause. Incident notification times were available for over 95% of crashes, and response times for 84%, providing robust baseline metrics. Road closure data, digitized from seven years of dispatcher logs, highlighted the frequency, duration, and causes of closures, while traffic volume data established patterns by season, direction, and vehicle class. The report confirms that high-quality baseline data has been successfully collected, supporting the validity of future impact assessments. The significance of this report lies in its establishment of a rigorous baseline for evaluating rural ITS deployments in challenging weather environments. By documenting pre-deployment conditions, the study enables precise measurement of the DMS project’s effectiveness in reducing crashes, improving incident response, and managing road closures. The report recommends proceeding to Phase III to capture post-deployment data, ensuring that the evaluation can fully assess system impacts and document best practices for other agencies considering similar ITS integrations. This work supports the broader goal of enhancing transportation efficiency and safety through the integration of intelligent systems in critical national corridors.

Key finding

Baseline analysis of pre-deployment data documented 2,019 crashes between 1999 and 2005, with incident notification and response times available for over 95 and 84 percent of those crashes, respectively.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 2019

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource