Cool Things You Can Do With Data

And What It Means To You

Mark HallenbeckDirectorWashington State Transportation Center

Mark’s Cool Data Facts (#1)

• Well run companies have superb data systems

– Wal-Mart– UPS– Fed Ex

Data Systems Inform Business Decisions

• What is working?

• What is not working?

• Allows business to do more/better

Mark’s Data Facts (#2)

• No one likes to pay for data collection

– Data collection is an expense, – Data collection is not a revenue source

So… in a well run business• Data collection occurs for a purpose

• That purpose must be important enough to warrant the expense

• Rarely is data collected for the sake of collecting data

So why/what data?

• In the business world:

– Most data collection occurs as part of a business process

– Good businesses determine new ways to use data they already collect

– Revenue generated from (or costs saved because of) that data exceeds the cost of collecting it

Why/What Data?

• Once collected, data is stored and used for many business management purposes

Mark’s Cool Data Fact (#3):

• Few public transportation agencies are run like a good business

– Highway agencies– Transit agencies

Data? We Don’t Need No Stinking Data!

• The attitude of many public transportation agencies

– We have limited funding– We have massive needs– Spending money on data is an

unnecessary luxury

The Question is:

• Are you spending your money on the right things?

• How would you know?– Is what you are doing working?– Are you achieving your goals?

– What ARE your goals?

How Do Roads Work Today?

• Congestion is common– Travelers have little choice

• Operations is a secondary function• Road performance is almost accidental• Dollars and performance aren’t well

connected

How Do Roads Work Today?• Funding is most commonly

prioritized for– Street construction– Street maintenance

• Funding for operating those roads efficiently is rarely a priority

Why?• Public spending is aimed at maintaining

public support

• Public support is not tied directly to actual performance of the existing system

• Public support is frequently based on “visible” results from expenditure of tax dollars

Visible Results?

• The public does not connect congestion with “sub-optimal”operational management

• Very hard to “prove the negative”

– What congestion did NOT happen as a result of some action/improvement

So?

Traffic doesn’t flow as smoothly as it could

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

12 AM 2 AM 4 AM 6 AM 8 AM 10 AM 12 P M 2 P M 4 P M 6 P M 8 P M 10 P M

Estimated Weekday Volume, Speed For I - 405

Underutilizedcapacity

Roadway Capacity

55+ mph45 - 55 mph<45 mph

And now

A “Twilight Zone”Moment

Imagine, if you will…

• If your agency’s funding was a function of roadway performance…

• If your salary was based on how well roads actually worked…

Imagine, if you will…

• If revenue was generated by roadway use…– So that the more people who used a

road, the more money that road generated…

• But..– If the road did not operate at an

adopted speed, the revenue generated decreased

Would You Do Anything Differently?

Would You Do Anything Differently?

• Define “good performance”

• Report actual performance– Determine the real causes of poor

performance

• Continually look for ways to get better performance– More closely determine the expected benefits

of proposed improvements

What Would You Get?

A Parallel Universe? or

Tomorrow?

• Roadway operations is a priority• Travel choices exist

– Route, mode, time versus cost

• Roadway performance is managed• Resources flow to ideas that work

Can We Do That?

“Managed Lanes” is likely to require this

And provide financial incentives to make it happen

Anyone ever heard of “congestion pricing?”

Active Operational Management• How?

– Understand current facility conditions– Predict future demands / conditions– Analyze the impacts of alternative

management actions– Select and implement the best of those

actions– Have agency/jurisdictional agreements

for implementing those actions

Active Operational Management• Optimization – What’s your goal?

– Maximum number of vehicles/people served

– Maximizing revenue– Minimizing delays– Maximizing benefit gained from available

dollars spent

• Current goal: everyone has equal access to congestion

To Make It Work

• You would need data on:– Road use (demand)– Road performance (speed / delay)– Computations of actual versus

optimum performance

To Make It Work

• Need better detection of what is occurring– Usage levels– Performance

• More flexible operational controls

• More capable (faster) analytical systems– To select the correct operational

decisions

Data Collection• Facility operation

– Use (volume / by vehicle type)– Performance (speed / delay / congestion

locations)

• Control system status (enforcement too)• External events

– Weather– Incidents– Construction activity– Special events

Data Collection

• Needs to be a routine part of work flow– Not a “special activity”

• Collect once – use many times

• Data is an asset – not just a cost– “secondary” uses of data can be more

valuable than “primary uses”

Data Storage and Analysis• Once collected, keep data and

use it– Data archive software– Data retrieval software– Data reporting software– Data analysis software– Decision support software

‘Traditional’ Uses

• When and where is congestion?• What causes it?• How large is it?• How long does it last?• How did it change when we…

– Built more lanes / the new interchange / …– Expanded the incident response program– Changed timing plans

Operational Uses

• Are contractors managing traffic as desired?

• What are the effects when I place specific DMS messages?

• How should I change traffic control settings when it starts to snow/rain?

Operational Uses / Business Practice• Pricing analysis

– Should price be increased/decreased?– Price by type of vehicle

• Demand sensitivity versus damage caused

• Incident response staff utilization and performance

• Effects/effectiveness of routing plans

Operations Data is Not Just for Operations Analysis

• Pavement warrantees– Did actual traffic meet

warrantee targets?• Safety analyses

– Effectiveness of specific safety treatments

– Detailed crash analysis –litigation defense

Operations Data is Not Just for Operations Analysis

• System planning– Who is using the road?– Where are they traveling between and

when?– What are the effects of

• Customer loyalty programs?• Traffic management efforts

Getting There From Here• Incentives and direction• Provide leadership• Control system selection and

deployment• Facility monitoring systems• Analytical systems that convert data

to information• A new, proactive, business culture

Proactive Business Culture

• Actively analyzes and reviews performance against goals

• Uses objective data to judge performance

• Rewards good performance• Changes business practices that

cause poor performance

Business Approach

• Not the current roadway agency process– Build it and they will come

• Set operational goals– While understanding the consequences

• Set incentive / disincentive system so that the agency works towards those goals– Within agency– Between agencies

The End

(We return this podium to your control…)