Smart Work Zone Meeting #1 09 26 2022

Purpose

Purpose of the meeting is to meet with subgroup members to present the outstanding issues to members.

Agenda

• Update
• Outstanding Issues
• Action Items

Notes

• GitHub Issues Link: https://github.com/usdot-jpo-ode/wzdx/issues
• Recording for this meeting: https://public.huddle.com/b/gkBaPB/index.html

Update (Neil Boudreau)

• Based on the successful balloting in July, the former smart work zone device, now called Device feed, has been updated this month.
• Most recent feeds have been released, WZDx v4.1.
• This subgroup is performing an accelerated cycle to get as much done on things that were left off in the last cycle before the new standards group takes over the WZDx specification.
• This meeting will be used to go through a few issues that were held up from the last cycle.
• The main goal is to get feedback prior to October 12th, 2022.
• There will be one more membership meeting on October 24th, where pull requests will be presented to gain acceptance from the group with the intention of moving those forward and getting them into the feed release WZDx device feed 4.2.
• Federal highway administration (FHWA) has awarded the formal standards group for WZDX and the formal standards group will begin with a kickoff meeting in the next 6-8 weeks.

Outstanding Issues

Issue #341– Reconsider and clarify Flashing Beacon (Neil Boudreau)

• MUTCD Chapter 4L covers flashing warning beacons.
• Flashing warning beacons are used to supplement a Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) device.
• MUTCD describes types of lights. MUTCD also describes how these lights are mounted to supplement a TTC device.
• Ensure the object-type is in the proper context and avoid confusion with vehicular warning lights.
• Vehicular warning lights are defined as high intensity, rotating, flashing, oscillating, and strobe lights to provide a hazard warning of the work vehicle action.

Issue #337 – Generic MUTCD – New Object Type (Todd Foster)

• The device feed deals with electronic connected equipment in a work zone.
• More static aluminum signs are being represented in a work zone how do we capture these in the feed.
• This issue proposes adding a new Object Type to the DeviceFeed that represents any MUTCD standard temporary Traffic Control zone signs as defined by the MUTCD standard
• Table 6F-1 of MUTCD defines sizes of temporary control signs.
• Add a new Object Type to the DeviceFeed that represents any MUTCD standard temporary Traffic Control zone signs as defined by the MUTCD standard
• This would include MUTCD Sign Code/Designation (Ex. R2-1 Speed Limit) as well as optional properties/description (Ex. “55 MPH”)
• To accommodate the text on these signs, one should follow MUTCD sign codes and have an optional property field or description.
• This is something new that is meant to have a broader approach of considering critical devices (not just electronic equipment) in a work zone.
• Dan Sprengeler: What about non-standard signs, would those be allowed?
• Todd Foster: Not as a first step. Start by focusing on what is allowed in MUTCD for approved signs.
• Dan Sprengeler: Right, I think in the future though it could be something that gets added. In Iowa, we use a big rectangular sign which change based on the physical features of the bridge project. There is no MUTCD sign that goes horizontal or vertical for bridge height.
• Neil Boudreau: You could have the sign code, if such code exists in the MUTCD, and then have an open text field where you could put some of supplemental information that Todd mentioned.
• Dan Sprengeler: Narrow lanes is a great example to consider.

Issue #298 – Add a new device type for a work truck with its hazard lights flashing (Ross Sheckler)

• In collecting data from the field, flashing lights on a work truck is the third most common type of device that is reporting.
• The co-chairs want this to have its own device type in the specification.
• Skylar Knickerbocker: Are there any other attributes that you guys could provide us about it being a new device type?
• Ross Sheckler: Record what type of truck it is, have some crash trucks observing the flashers on and have some sweepers as work trucks. There are companies which are tracking the snowplows, various types of work trucks, etc, could go under this type and qualified for thepurpose of these trucks. The worker is present if the truck has its lights on and the contractors want their workers to be seen.
• Juan Pava: Would this issue would be extrapolated to include other moving equipment such as rollers, pavers, and ones with flashing hazard lights?
• Ross Sheckler: May have to decide breakdown of specific subcategories, but the easy way to mark your moving equipment would be to tie it to the flash around it, and when it gets active, it could be tracked.
• Juan Pava: From a state DOT official point of view, trying to correlate a mobile operation with a work activity, would be interested in more detailed information to what type of vehicles that would be.
• Neil Boudreau: The goal was always to try to get as much information about accurate work zone information to support the automated and connected vehicle.
• Kelly Wells: Asked what does “marked location mean”?
• Jacob Brady: Marked Location is defined as any GPS enabled ITS device placed at a point on a roadway to dynamically know the location of something, often used at the beginning or end of the work zone. Marked location is a type.
• Dan Sprengeler: We are uncertain of what we all need until we start making regular use of all this stuff. We should anticipate that it will be modified as we proceed further.
• Kelly Wells: Asked about how we would handle multiple work trucks parked at the same location.
• Ross Sheckler: If the trucks hazard lights are on, it viewed as being a hazard to the traffic, if not then it’s not in our feed.

Issue #296 – Report the velocity of equipment in mobile-operations (Ross Sheckler)

• If the equipment is equipped with fully functional GPS, then speed of the GPS unit can be reported.
• Initially it was mobile operations, but any equipment that is moving should be reporting the speed of it.
• Todd Foster: A general comment of predicting where a vehicle is can be difficult. The vehicle can, stop, leave the road on a ramp, or take a U-turn. It is difficult to predict where things end up.

Action Items (Ben Acimovic)

1. Review the issues on GitHub and provides comment by October 12th.
2. Next membership meeting on October 24th, 2022. The chairs will have pull requests for these 4 items ready to discuss on the next membership meeting.

Participants

• Colorado DOT – Benjamin Acimovic*
• iCone Products – Ross Sheckler*
• Massachusetts DOT – Neil Boudreau*
• Ver-Mac – Todd Foster*
• Austin Transportation Department – Luke Urie
• Butterfly Junction Technologies – Ben Fischer
• Horizon Signal – Jay Hunter
• IBI Group – Jacob Brady
• IBI Group – Michelle Boucher
• IBI Group – Ankit Singh
• Illinois DOT – Peter Stresino
• Illinois DOT – Juan Pava
• Iowa State University – Skylar Knickerbocker
• Iowa DOT – Sinclair Stolle
• Iowa DOT – Dan Sprengler
• Leidos – William Martin
• Pi-Lit – James Selevan
• Rhode Island DOT – Russell Holt
• The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. – John Copple
• Texas A&M – Christopher Poe
• Utah DOT – Chuck Felice
• Volpe – Mark Mockett
• Volpe – Nate Deshmukh
• Wanco – Tim Paulino
• Wanco – Dagan Packman
• Washington DOT – Steve Haapala
• Wisconsin DOT – Erin Schwark
• Arizona DOT – Marty Lauber
• Connecticut DOT – Jennifer Petrario
• North Carolina – Kelly Wells
• Washington DOT – Tony Leingang
• GM – David Craig
• ATSSA – Jim Rhine
• PA Turnpike – Albert Brulo
• Hill and Smith – Pete Krikelis
• Solar Technology – Brad Nanna

*Smart Work Zone Subgroup co-chair