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Enhancing Road Condition Reporting: The MDARS Initiative by Minnesota DOT

The Mobile Data Acquisition and Reporting System (MDARS) is designed to improve road condition reporting by enabling plow operators to input data through web-enabled cell phones. Developed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and tested in 2001-2002, MDARS allows for real-time data entry to be transmitted directly to the Condition Acquisition and Reporting System (CARS). This initiative has reduced radio traffic, created operator ownership, and provided accurate traveler information. Future plans include expanding MDARS for broader use and integrating construction and incident reporting.

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Enhancing Road Condition Reporting: The MDARS Initiative by Minnesota DOT

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  1. MDARS: Mobile Data Acquisition and Reporting System Presented by Ginny Crowson Minnesota Department of Transportation ITS America 14th Annual Meeting Session 30: New Sources of Data April 28, 2004

  2. Outline • Background • How it Works • Costs and Benefits • Future Direction • Questions

  3. Background • CARS: Condition Acquisition and Reporting System • MDARS: Mobile Data Acquisition and Reporting System • Developed to test CARS data entry from a mobile environment • Piloted in Southwestern Minnesota winters 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 • Over 75 plow operators used MDARS to make over 500 entries

  4. Background • Original objectives were to: • Provide an effective mobile reporting system to transmit information directly to CARS • Provide alternative method for reporting road conditions to reduce radio traffic • Improve quality of traveler information regarding road conditions

  5. How it Works • MDARS operation • Plow operators access Internet and MDARS web site through web-enabled cell phones • Enter road conditions using drop-down menus • Can also check R/WIS • Information sent over Internet via XML interface to CARS • Sent on to 511 and 511mn.org for travelers

  6. How it Works MDARS Operation R/WIS Web-Enabled Cell Phone 511 3 6 9 # * 2 5 8 8 CARS Work Station 511mn.org

  7. Costs and Benefits • Initial system development of $127,000 was ITS funded • Phone equipment costs were district funded * Most recent cell phone purchase through Midwest Wireless

  8. Costs and Benefits • Monthly service costs were district funded * Most recent service agreement through Midwest Wireless

  9. Costs and Benefits • Plow operator evaluation conducted • One-to-one interviews with 12/75 plow operators • Positively regarded and most would continue data entry if required to • Neutral toward concept of using MDARS for more than road condition entries • If continued, better explanations of how MDARS and CARS feed 511 will increase support

  10. Costs and Benefits • Direct benefits • Reduced radio traffic • Decreased stress on Mn/DOT and MSP dispatchers • Created plow operator ownership • Eliminated field to dispatch interpretations • Provided better route-specific road conditions • Particularly during inclement weather • Mn/DOT and MSP could not staff TOCCs statewide to provide this coverage at the cost of MDARS ($9,600/year for 80 phones x 7 districts + $15,000 MDARS support = $82,200)

  11. Future Direction • Make MDARS available for use statewide • Modify to allow data entry for construction and incidents in addition to road conditions • Initially focusing on road conditions in other districts • For districts with limited cell coverage or budget, focus on Interstate and US routes • Explore alternatives to web-enabled cell phones

  12. Questions? For more information, contact: Daryl Taavola, ITS Director daryl.taavola@dot.state.mn.us 651-282-2115

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