Knowledge Resources

A U.S. Department of Transportation report, entitled Metropolitan Transportation Management Center Concepts of Operation: A Cross-Cutting Study, published in 1999, provides extensive information on operations at eight TMCs within the United States and Canada. While a primary focus of each TMC studied is freeway management, several are also responsible for traffic signal system operation and various aspects of transit system management. The study began with a review of existing published TMC operations material. The following eight centers, chosen for detailed investigation and documentation, represent a broad range in their systems’ size, age, purpose, and technical approach:

• Detroit, Michigan, Intelligent Transportation Systems Center
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin, MONITOR
• Long Island, New York, INFORM
• Boston, Massachusetts, Integrated Project Control System
• Houston, Texas, TranStar
• Phoenix, Arizona, TrailMaster
• Atlanta, Georgia, NaviGAtor
• Toronto, Ontario, COMPASS

Major issues challenging most existing centers, such as staffing and the relationship between operations and maintenance functions, were identified, providing potential TMC implementers and existing TMC managers with real-world examples of how their peers are addressing daily operational issues. Some of the lessons learned (e.g., underestimation of operator workload, transition from video monitor walls) are indicative of human factors issues which are concerned with the design of TMC system elements.