BACKGROUND 

The ability to virtually manage and operate traffic management systems (TMSs) is no longer a luxury; it needs to be a capability of the system and core capacity of an agency’s operations program. It has become a necessity for agencies to work toward developing and sustaining these capabilities and having the resources necessary to remotely manage and operate their own or another agency’s TMS. Agencies continue to explore what organizational policies, procedures, capacity, resources, and capabilities may be needed to virtually manage and operate their TMSs to support day-to-day traffic management, planned (e.g., concerts, festivals) and unplanned (e.g., during COVID-19 pandemic, weather emergency) special events.

Agencies are looking for resources to explore what planning, development, and training may be needed to successfully position or prepare TMSs with the capabilities and resources needed to allow agencies to transition the operation of a TMS involving highly technical traffic management centers to a virtual operating environment with minimal service disruptions. 

There is a need to develop technical resources to assist agencies in planning, developing, or improving their TMSs to enable virtual operation, and to assist agencies in preparing for, training, testing, and transitioning to remote or virtual TMS operation. 

OBJECTIVES 

The objectives of this research are to develop two technical reports: Report No. 1, Assessing and Improving TMSs to Enable Virtual Operation, to assist agencies with planning, developing, or improving their TMSs to enable virtual operation, and Report No. 2, Operation and Implementation of TMSs Virtually, to assist agencies to prepare, plan, design, build, and operate their TMS virtually.

At a minimum, the research team shall:

• Assess the capacity of TMSs that can be managed virtually to support day-to-day traffic management, and planned and unplanned special events;
• Identify issues or improvements that can be considered for TMSs planning or developing the next generation of TMSs;
• Assess agency functions and capacities to manage and operate TMSs virtually; and
• Explore, plan, prepare, train, test, and verify ways to operate TMSs virtually.