Appendix A: Questionnaire
Name: _______________________Agency: __________________________________
System: __________________________________________________________
Please answer the following questions in the space provided. Your responses will be used to help generate recommendations for Federal programs with respect to the application of ITS technologies to improve safety on rural roadways. This form is not a formal survey – it is an instrument to help the study team obtain needed information on rural safety efforts. The intent of this effort is not to determine if one system is better than another, but to gather information on what has been deployed to date, or is being planned for deployment in the near future. Feel free to use additional space as needed. A section for additional comments has been provided at the end of the form. Your participation is much appreciated.
Please return the completed form by email or fax to:
Mark Robinson at mark.d.robinson@saic.com fax: 703-676-2432
or to Chris Strong at ChrisS@coe.montana.edu fax: 406-994-1697.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark (703-676-2384) or Chris (406-994-7351) by phone or email.
Impetus for the Activity
What was the problem that sparked your agency to consider a technological treatment? (For example, high crash frequency/severity location, driver complaints, etc.)
What made your agency consider a technological treatment (e.g., dynamic signs, detector-activated signs, advanced computer or communications technology, etc.) over a more conventional treatment (static signs, pavement markings, steadily flashing lights, traffic signals, etc.)?
Criteria for System Selection (Hardware and Software)
What caused your agency to select the system that it did? What criteria were used in selecting the system (system functionality, cost, availability, vendor familiarity, etc.)?
Description of the System
What is the current status of the system (installed and active, installed but not active, planned, experimental/prototype, research, inactive, dismantled)?
If the system has been installed, when was it installed? If the system is at the planning stage, what is the planned date of installation?
What is the objective and/or purpose of the system?
Where and under what environment is the system deployed or planned for deployment?
What is the size of the system (miles of roadway covered, number of signs, number and type of detectors, etc.)?
What inputs does the system use?
How are these inputs obtained by the system?
How often are the inputs sampled? Are inputs averaged or smoothed over a sampling period?
What logic does the system use to generate outputs?
What is the system output?
How often is the output updated?
If the output is aimed at drivers, how is the information made available [for example – variable message sign(s), in-vehicle devices, etc]?
Is the system output advisory, enforceable, or enforced?
What was (is) the expected result of deployment of the system?
System Performance
What, if any, factors affect system performance?
Has the system, in your opinion, performed satisfactorily?
Have the performance and reliability of the system been formally tested? If yes, what were the results?
System Effectiveness Evaluation
Has the effectiveness of the system been evaluated formally or informally?
If the effectiveness of the system has been evaluated, what measures of effectiveness were used?
What were the results of the effectiveness evaluation? Did the system achieve the expected result, or meet the objective for deployment?
“Hot Spots”
Do you perceive that there are any general “Hot Spots” for rural ITS deployment (spots where technological systems may be effective in reducing the frequency or severity of rural crashes)?
Obstacles and Lessons Learned
Were there any major obstacles or issues encountered in deploying the system? Are there any lessons learned that you would like to share with others considering similar deployments?
Additional Comments
Please feel free to add any additional comments that you feel would be helpful to the study team.
US Department of Transportation
400 7th Street, S.W. (HOIT)
Washington, DC 20590
Toll-Free “Help Line” 866-367-7487
http://www.its.dot.gov
EDL Document No.: 13609
Publication No.: FHWA-OP-02-038
HOIT/Print Date (325)QE