Each year, rural roadways experience a greater number of fatal crashes than urban roadways. Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) have been adopted by rural transportation agencies to provide travelers better information about the impact of current weather conditions on the roadway; however, RWIS can only provide data for a specific location, and localized weather conditions require continuous high resolution road weather condition reporting. In response to the need for a more reliable system, connected vehicle (CV) technology introduced the concept of using vehicles to communicate current roadway conditions. This presentation will introduce new advances in the field of rural road weather management and provide insight into the research conducted at the University of Wyoming to implement a Connected Vehicle Road Weather Condition System.

This webinar focuses on how the $64 billion California High Speed Rail project is redefining transportation in the US  with special emphasis on unique engineering challenges, station area development implications, public outreach best  practices, and project implementation.

The ITS JPO at the U.S. DOT has long been a leader and strong supporter of research, development, adoption, and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) around the nation. ITS JPO has been instrumental in researching and deploying technologies to improve transportation safety, enhance mobility, reduce environmental impacts, and increase productivity through the integration of advanced communications-based information and electronic technologies into the transportation infrastructure and vehicles. Applying ITS to freight transportation includes not only increasing capacity along the supply chain, but also increasing safety and security while reducing negative environmental impacts. The U.S. DOT has sponsored the development of the Freight Advanced Traveler Information System (FRATIS), a bundle of applications that provides freight-specific dynamic travel planning and performance information. Another initiative sponsored by U.S. DOT is the Smart Roadside Initiative, a truck compliance screening application designed to increase the efficiency of state truck enforcement programs and freight operations. U.S. DOT has also advanced a number of ITS-based truck parking projects that leverage ITS architecture in providing drivers with parking space availability information. Currently, Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) provides Federal funding for the next 5 years-approximately $1.2 billion a year. The FAST Act adds a new goal to the ITS Program: enhancement of the national freight system and support to national freight policy goals.

This webinar will focus on ITS strategies that improve trucking operations for the benefit of improved mobility and public safety. There is a growing need for the public sector to include freight planning into the management of the transportation system-especially the highway system. Population growth, typically in urban areas, will result in increased demand for infrastructure to move large amounts of freight. Factors such as changing demographics, e-commerce, home deliveries versus store deliveries, automated vehicles and trucks, and the shift to regional warehouses to facilitate just-in-time deliveries, will add to today's increasing congestion challenge. While commercial vehicles currently account for only 9 percent of all vehicle highway miles traveled, the Federal Highway Administration estimates that in the next 30 years there will be 60 percent more trucks using the highway system. Incorporating ITS will be an important strategy to integrate freight activities with other modes of transportation and to monitor freight movement activity, including regulatory restrictions designed to support safe highway operations, economic productivity, and environmental stewardship.