Minnesota Department of Transportation

Summary Results

From A Survey of State Linear Referencing Practices

April11, 2008

Background

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) Office of Transportation Data and Analysis (TDA) desired to learn more about how other transportation agencies are managing linear referencing systems and maintaining data on the locations and physical characteristics associated with transportation networks. In September 2007, a brief survey was forwarded to states and Canadian provinces using the ListServ for the AASHTO RAC Committee.[1] A total of 18 responses were received from the following states and Canadian provinces:

Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department

Connecticut Department of Transportation

Idaho Transportation Department

Iowa Department of Transportation

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Maine Department of Transportation

Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Highway Planning and Design Branch

Mississippi Department of Transportation

Missouri Department of Transportation

New Hampshire Department of Transportation

Oregon Department of Transportation

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

South Dakota Department of Transportation

Texas Department of Transportation

VirginiaDepartment of Transportation

Washington Department of Transportation

West Virginia Department of Transportation

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

The following provides a brief summary of survey results. Questions and requests for additional information may be directed to:

Matthew Koukol, Director

Data Systems and Coordination Section

Minnesota Department of Transportation

(651) 366-3859

General Observations

All transportation agencies that responded to the survey have developed information systems to maintain and track information on the roadway locations and characteristics. However, survey results clearly indicate that one size does not fit all and there is no one standard template for managing linear data within agencies.

Virtually all of these information systems are designed to support multiple reporting, planning, project, and asset management business needs and decisions. The most common business needs and decisions referenced in the surveys included:

Federal HPMS reporting

State reporting and performance measurement

Transportation planning

Safety analysis

Traffic data

Project management

Roadway inventory characteristics

Sign inventory

Survey results indicate that most of the responding transportation agencies currently have or aspire to have some level of integration among their traditional crash, traffic, bridge, pavement and roadway inventory data systems.

Newer systems under development are moving beyond the integration of traditional management system data to provide more interoperability with other key maintenance, right of way, freight, performance measurement and asset management data systems.

Results additionally indicated that newer linear referencing and roadway network information systems track highway mileage for both state and local systems, interface with GIS mapping capabilities, support web warehousing capabilities, and provide access and data editing rights to multiple internal agency users and external partners.

Survey results also reflect the growing costs to develop and maintain these more sophisticated information systems.

Information System Characteristics

The survey included several questions about the specific ages, costs, and operating characteristics of the information systems in use for tracking highway locations and characteristics.

Figure 1 illustrates the years linear referencing systems have been in operation for responding states. While nearly 25% of the responding states have new systems under development, another 25% have information systems that have been in operation for 10 or more years. Of the 5 respondents that have systems in operation for 10 or more years, 3 are in the process of initiating projects to replace their current system. Therefore, 8 of 18 respondents are either currently developing or beginning development of new linear referencing systems.

Figure 1

Years Linear Referencing System is in Operation
(Based on Survey Responses from Responding Participants)


In the past, large integrated data and information systems relied on “mainframe” computer technologies. Current systems provide data access and reporting functionality via desktop and web-based platforms. Figure 3 illustrates this trend based on the responses received from surveyparticipants.

Figure 3

Methods for Delivering Information
(Based on Survey Responses from Responding Participants)


Figure 4

Linear Referencing Systems

External Access Capabilities

(Based on Survey Responses from Responding Participants)


Brief Synopsis of IndividualState Survey Responses

Arkansas

The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is in the process of developing a new custom linear referencing system that will integrate data from the roadway inventory system, functional classification database, pavement management system and their applications for preparing FHWA Highway Performance Management System reports. The system will include all functionally classified roads. It will be available on desktop, using Access® software on a SQL operating system. Development is expected to take 3 years.

Contact: Greg Nation


Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has developed an off the shelf linear referencing system, using Arc GIS®, Arc Info® and Oracle Network Analyst®. The system includes data on all roadway miles in the state. It provides internal and external data access and editing capabilities. The new system integrates all traditional data management systems. No decision support tools have been developed as yet, but are planned. The system operates currently on desktop. In the future, it will be web based. Anticipated final development cost to fully incorporate the newer datamodel is $750,000 with expected maintenance costs of approximately $25,000-$30,000 per year.

Contact: James Spencer


Idaho

The Idaho Transportation Department has a custom mainframe system build in the 1970’s that operates in Windows on a SQL server. The state is in the process of migrating to a new platform. The current system includes all public road miles. Access to data is provided to both internal and external customers, with internal editing capabilities. The system includes all traditional management systems, plus right of way and access management enterprise systems. The Idaho DOT is exploring the integration of pavement management, maintenance management, and GIS into a single data warehouse.

Contact: Randolph C. “Randy” Rowell


Iowa

The Iowa Department of Transportation is addressing their linear referencing and highway data needs with a combination commercial and custom built application that uses GeoMedia and Oracle. The system is available for distribution. It includes information on all current roadways in the state and provides data on the historical network. The system grants access and editing capabilities to both internal and external users. In addition, it supports all traditional planning and reporting data needs and integrates all management systems. The system operates on desktop with future plans for web based access. Iowa’s linear referencing system was built between 1999-2006, at a cost of approximately $5.5 million. Annual system maintenance is approximately $128,000.

Contact: Peggi Knight


Kentucky

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet manages their linear referencing system with an off the shelf application from EXOR® that includes some customization. The system upgrades an existing system that operating within the department. It supports planning, roadway inventory, asset management (signs, pavements and bridges), traffic, and GIS. The system includes data on all public roads. Roadway characteristics are attached to centerlines, with editing capabilities for both internal users and external partners. The system delivers data via desktop and web. It took six months to complete the system upgrade and put the new system in production. Annual maintenance costs are $95,000.

Contact: Keith Dotson

Maine

The Maine Department of Transportation purchased an off the shelf linear referencing system application from EXOR® that feeds a larger internal data warehouse. The data warehouse was built first and then synchronization routines were developed to integrate bridge, crash, traffic, maintenance, pavement and project management systems. The system includes all public road mileage and tracks history on the network. No external access is available yet. The linear referencing system took 14 months to develop and cost $300,000; with annual maintenance of $16,000.

Contact: Nancy Armentrout

Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Department

The Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Department recently initiated a project to internally build a custom linear referencing application. The application is currently in the testing phase. The system includes all roads and history to 2000. It provides access to both internal and external users. Only internal users are able to edit the system. All linear referencing and highway attribute data are available through a data warehouse. The linear referencing application integrates with all traditional management systems, plus contract management and advanced truck routing and permitting systems.

Contact: Glenda Gartner

Minnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation maintains information on all public roads in the state in two systems, a GIS BaseMap and a mainframe roadway data application called the Transportation Information System (TIS). The TIS data integrates roadway inventory, crash and safety data, and pavement data. It also interfaces with bridge data and serves as the system of record for mileage in Minnesota. The BaseMap data is calibrated to match the TIS data and allows mapping of events and characteristics on all public roads. Mn/DOT undertook a major effort to replace both these systems with an integrated linear management system, but the software was abandoned following the pilot phase. The department is in the initial phase of a new replacement project.
Contact: Matt Koukol

Missouri Department of Transportation

The Missouri Department of Transportationlinear referencing system (LRS) is an ESRI® application with some custom development to integrate linear network data with an integrated data management system. The LRS includes data on all roads and can be accessed by both internal and external users. The LRS links with a large Oracle® data management system that integrates traditional traffic, crash, pavement and bridge management system data with data on bill boards and right of way. All data are designed to also be used for performance measurement. Management system development and data integration costs were reported to be $30 million, with annual system maintenance costs of $2 million. Linear referencing system development cost approximately $2 million with annual maintenance costs of $300,000.

Contact: Brian Reagan

Mississippi Department of Transportation

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is in the process of developing a request for proposals (RFP) for a new linear referencing system. The new system will be designed to integrate bridge, crash, pavement, signs and traffic management systems.

Contact: James Watkins


New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s linear referencing system is an off-the-shelf ESRI® application. The system includes data on all state and local roads. It provides access and editing rights to both internal and external users. The system supports integration with all management systems, including the department’s “Asset Management System” that has 10 distinct data owners. The linear referencing system cost $300,000 to put in place, with annual maintenance fees of approximately $38,000.

Contact: Glenn Davison


New Jersey

The New Jersey Department of the Transportation uses off the shelf ESRI® and Oracle® applications to manage their linear referencing and network location needs. The system provides connectively to the department’s other data management system databases via the network. The linear referencing system is designed to support all planning and project management activities. It integrates traditional traffic, crash, bridge and pavement management system data, with future plans to bringing in drainage, freight management and right of way data. The system includes all public roads. It does not provide external access or editing rights. Linear referencing system development represented a two-year effort. Development costs are unknown. Maintenance is $67,000 per year.

Contact: Mark Gulbinsky


Oregon

The Oregon Department of Transportation is in the process of purchasing a custom off the shelf linear referencing system that will be designed to replace their current highway inventory and HPMS reporting systems. The new linear referencing system will include state roads first; locals second and will eventually track history of the network. Access to both old and new systems will be provided through a data warehousing feature. The new system will provide enhanced editing, integration and data access capabilities.
The new system required legislative approval. It is scheduled for completion by July 2009 at a cost of $2.25 million, not including costs associated with data population.

Contact: Heather I. King

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s linear referencing system is part of a custom mainframe IMS management system that is over twenty years old. The system includes roads under state jurisdiction. The system integrates data traditional management system data from crash, traffic, pavement and bridge. The survey indcates that the system has worked well over the years, but is in need of upgrade.

Contact: J. Michael Long

South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Transportation survey response indicates the department has had a statewide linear referencing system since the 1970’s. It is defined not by a “management system” but by a relatively concise policy that governs highway numbering, posting of reference markers, and referencing of data elements relative to the reference markers. Reference markers are set at half-mile intervals and have latitude, longitude and state plane coordinates. The policy is incorporated into every road-related management system used by the department.

Contact: Dave Huft

Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation manages roadway locations and attributes with a commercial off the shelf ESRI® system that has been in use for approximately 10 years. The system includes state and local roadway mileage and provides historical information on roadway geometry and attribute characteristics. The system includes roadway inventory, traffic analysis and asset management data. It integrates all traditional bridge, crash, pavement, sign, and project management systems for planning and project management. The system has 15 editors and thousands of users.

Contact: Judy Skeen

Virginia

The Virginia Department of Transportation is in the middle of a major project to replace their highway traffic records and mainframe inventory systems. The new system will include custom built interfaces, using ESRI® mapping and linear referencing tools, as well as straight line diagram features borrowed from the Vermont Department of Transportation. The new system will integrate all traditional safety, crash, pavement, bridge, traffic management systems and provide data on all roads. It will be accessible to internal and external users and provide editing rights to both. Route centerlines and 911 addressing will be available and are compiled and distributed by VGIN (enterprise) services. The new linear referencing system took 4 years to develop at a cost of $7.3 million.

Contact: Joseph W. Pugh, Jr.

Paul.Bucher

Washington
The Washington Department of Transportation currently uses mainframe technology developed in the mid-1980’s to store and report linear referencing related activities. The GIS representations of roadways are stored outside the mainframe system. Manual processes have been developed to link mainframe linear referencing data to the GIS. The mainframe system serves crash, maintenance, pavement, traffic, signs, accounting data needs. In addition, it is integrated with project management decision support tools through data warehouse. The system provides data on state routes and serves internal users. Washington is in the process of looking at alternative solutions to better meet ever changing business needs.

Contacts: Mark Finch

Ron Cihon

West Virginia

The West Virginia Department of Transportation has a new off the shelf ESRI® system under development. Some customization will be done to import and integrate data. The new system will include all state and local roadway mileage and it will track network history. The system will integrate all the traditional data management systems (traffic, crash, pavement, and bridge. It will interface with maintenance work orders, sign inventory data and project management information.
The system will provide access to internal and external users through web based tools. Project champions for the new system came from safety and project management functional areas. System development costs are approximately $1,000,000 with $200,000 for annual maintenance.

Contact: Sean Litteral

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation survey response indicates that two separate linear referencing systems have been developed to manage roadway locations on the state and local road systems. Both systems are custom ESRI®, Oracle® and Java® systems that provide audit trails for tracking all data changes and updates.

-The state linear referencing system has been in place for 15 years. It integrates traffic, pavement and crash data with information on bridge locations. The system supports internal user access and provides annual download reports via the web. The survey indicates that the AML is being phased out so Wisconsin will have to rewrite system applications in the near future.

-The local road linear referencing system has been in place five years. All roadway line work is edited internally. Roadway attributes and characteristics are edited by both internal and external users and partners. The system includes pavement, traffic and bridge locations. A pilot project is underway to address crash data.

Wisconsin also has a pilot study is underway to look at combining the state and local linear referencing systems.